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Sony adds the Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra to its Open Devices program
- Sony announced it has added the Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra to its Open Devices program.
- This means developers have numerous tools to build custom ROMs based on Android Oreo.
- The Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra will launch on February 16.
Sony added its latest pair of mid-range smartphones, the Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra, to its Open Devices program. This brings the total number of devices in Sony’s developer-friendly program to 31.
Resources at your disposal include bootloader unlock tools, kernel compilation guides, and step-by-step instructions for you to access the Xperia XA2’s and Xperia XA2 Ultra’s Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) ports. Sony even has a flashing tool available for the phones.
This is all an effort to make it as easy as possible for developers to make custom ROMs using Google‘s official AOSP framework. These tools should also make it easier for developers to port software from other devices and use AOSP as a backend.
Anyone interested in software development should go to the relevant Sony Xperia Developer World GitHub pages.
Sony warns that the software can be unstable and is meant for developers. Also, the Xperia XA2 Ultra does not yet have its own entry in the Bootloader Unlock menu on Sony’s website, though that should change in the near future.
As a quick refresher, the Xperia XA2 features a 5.2-inch display with 1080p resolution, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of expandable storage and Android 8.0 Oreo. The phone also sports a 3,300 mAh battery and 23 MP rear camera.
The Xperia XA2 Ultra is largely the same phone, save for a roomier 6-inch display, larger 3,580 mAh battery, and second 16 MP selfie camera.
Both phones are set to launch on February 16, so do not expect custom software to show up right away. That being said, the phones’ support for Project Treble means developing AOSP builds should be easier than on other phones in the Open Devices program.