While most brands, including OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, are busy with beta testing, Sony has already begun the stable rollout of Android 16. The update is currently available for the Sony Xperia 1 VII, which was released last year with Android 15.
The Android 16 update for the Sony Xperia 1 VII has the firmware version 71.1.A.2.68, and it’s about 1.13GB in size. This is the first of four major updates that Sony promises for the Xperia 1 VII. If you have got this smartphone, you can head over to Settings > System > Advanced and tap on Software update to install the latest update.
Also read: These Sony Xperia phones are eligible for Android 16 upgrade
This isn’t as exciting as it sounds
While it’s surprising to see Sony rolling out stable Android 16 ahead of Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo, and many other Android brands, the update mostly feels just like Android 15. Sony has only made marginal changes to the user interface. It skips major changes introduced by Google with Android 16, such as Live Updates and the new “Material 3 Expressive” design.
The Android 16 update for the Sony Xperia 1 VII doesn’t have a changelog. According to a Reddit user, the Android security patch level has not been upgraded, still at August 2025. The smartphone would majorly feel the same even after upgrading to Android 16, except for the revamped Settings app.
This upgrade also brings a number of security improvements to Sony phones to keep them safer and more secure. Google’s new Advanced Protection ensures users remain protected from malware and various threats. This feature also blocks apps and websites that Google doesn’t think are safe. Additionally, Android 16 brings intelligent notifications grouping and improved support for hearing aids.
Sony has only three more smartphones left to upgrade to Android 16, which include the Sony Xperia 10 VII, Xperia 1 VI, and Xperia 10 VI. Hence, I believe it wouldn’t take long to complete the rollout.
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