Back in October 2021, Google officially released the stable version of Android 12. Some OEMs pushed out the update rather quickly, as they were working on beta versions throughout the process. While Sony might not have been the fastest to jump on the bandwagon, the Japanese OEM did publish a step-by-step guide to compile AOSP 12.0 for select Xperia devices. Now, the company has finally kickstarted the Android 12 rollout, beginning with the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III.

The third generation Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 are currently receiving the sweet treat of Android 12 via stable channel. Owners of the device duo can identify the new update by the build number 61.1.A.1.149. The release includes the December 2021 Android security patches. The update could have been delayed due to bug fixing, which could explain the outdated security patch level.

We have yet to spot the device-specific changelog for this update, but the new build should introduce all the new features to the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III that Google rolled out with Android 12. Sony has also published a generic Android 12 page on its support site to demonstrate the newly introduced functionalities. However, the OEM hasn't refreshed the kernel source repository with the Android 12 kernel sources for its 2021 flagships till now.

Sony Xperia 1 III XDA Forums ||| Sony Xperia 5 III XDA Forums

Due to the fact that this is a major Android update, it is advised to use a Wi-Fi connection to download the OTA. At the time of writing, the Asian dual-SIM variants of the Xperia 1 III (model number XQ-BC72) and Xperia 5 III (model number XQ-BQ72) are the only ones that are getting the latest update in Russia. There is no proper roadmap from Sony on the global rollout plan, so we would have to wait and see if other regions get the Android 12 update in the coming days.

In case you haven’t got the OTA notification on your Xperia 1 III/5 III yet, you can manually check for the update by heading to the phone’s Settings and then heading to Software update section. Power users, on the other hand, can download the full firmware package right now using the XperiFirm tool XDA Senior Member IgorEisberg. Next, perform a manual flashing using Flashtool (GUI) or Newflasher (CUI).