The Sony XPERIA Z Tablet is going to hit U.S shores by month’s end, but Sony has just announced that its flagship tablet could be unlocked and loaded with a stock Android OS for developers who want to take the stop to unlock and flash the tablet. Previously, Sony had done the same thing with its XPERIA Z smartphone, and it is only logical that the XPERIA Z Tablet gets the same treatment.Before you get excited by the prospect of turning a Sony device into a “Nexus pure Google” device for everyday use, you should know that the code that Sony makes available on its GitHUB is truly intended for development, and that it is missing some Android components that Sony cannot release, such as the camera and modem libraries. Those have to be licensed separately from partners like Qualcomm or Google. Until Sony can provide alternate libraries, the functions provided by those modules will be disabled.
If you discovered this Android™ Open Source Project (AOSP) form Sony today, it may seem surprisingly “open” from a company that has been known for its proprietary tendencies (MemoryStick anyone?), but we think that this is a great move to engage developers, get their feedback and contributions. You can learn more about this by reading the full Sony AOSP announcement or by going to Sony’s home for AOSP for XPERIA devices.
Filed in . Read more about Android, Development, Sony and XPERIA Tablet Z.