By now most of you would have had a chance to see Sony’s new Android 4.4.2 KitKat boot animation, which we reported on yesterday. Reaction to the animation has been mixed and we agree that Sony’s Jelly Bean boot animation seems more dynamic. Anyway, if you’re interested in trying it for yourself, click on the download links below.

It is worth noting that you will need a rooted handset for this to work. We have included links to two zip files below, the first will just replace your current bootanimation file in system > media. You will then need to make sure you set the correct permissions (rw -, r- -, r – -). The second zip file allows you to install via recovery. Enjoy!

Download Xperia KitKat boot animation

1) Install via ‘system > media’ – download

2) Install via recovery – download

Via Xperia.cz.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is due to release in the coming weeks and for those planning on acquiring the handset, you may be glad to hear that root and a CyanogenMod-based recovery is now available.

XDA dev DoomLoRD worked on creating the solution with the help of a willing guinea pig who owned the phone, Koush and his CWM recovery work and the Free Xperia team. The solution requires an unlocked bootloader and all details can be found in the source link.

Via XDA-developers.

Thanks DoomLoRD!

The user guide for the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is now live. The manual should help answer any questions you may have on the handset. Much like the Xperia Z1, it confirms the handset has a hard reset button and shows how you can insert the micro SIM and microSD memory cards. The manual sits at 119 pages. You can download the English manual below, user guides for other languages can be downloaded here.

Xperia Z1 Compact Manual

It can be a frustrating experience finding the right drivers for your new Sony Xperia handset when connecting to a Windows PC or laptop. We profess to spending much time in the past trying to find drivers for a particular handset. The FlashTool utility has made this easy by integrating most drivers in the program.

However, as the FlashTool release schedule is often not in sync with the release of Xperia drivers, DooMLoRD and Androxyde from XDA-developers have decided to release the driver pack separately. This driver pack will be updated as soon as new drivers are available from Sony.

DooMLoRD released version 1.3 of this “FlashTool Xperia Driver Pack” over the weekend, adding the combined drivers based on the board/chipset as can be seen below. If you want to download this driver pack yourself, click here for more information.

FlashTool Xperia Driver Pack

Common ADB drivers for Mogami and Zeus board devices based on MSM7x30/MSM8x55 chipset: Xperia ARC, ARC S, NEO, Acro, Mini, Mini Pro, PRO, Ray, Neo V, Active, Neo L

Common ADB drivers for Fuji board devices based on MSM8660 chipset: Xperia S, SL, ion, Acro HD, Acro S

Common ADB drivers for RioGrande board based on STE-NovaThor-U8500 chipset: Xperia Sola, P, U, GO

Common ADB drivers for Fuji board devices based on MSM8660 chipset: Xperia S, SL, ion, Acro HD, Acro S

Common ADB drivers for Blue1.0 board devices based on MSM8960 chipset: Xperia SX, TX, GX, T, TL

Common ADB drivers for Blue3.0 board devices based on MSM8960 chipset: Xperia SX, TX, GX, T, TL, V, AX, VL

Common ADB drivers for Lagan, Fusion3 board devices based on APQ8064 chipset: Xperia Z, ZL, ZR, ZQ, A, UL, Tablet Z

Common ADB drivers for JDM-Platform board devices based on MSM7225A/MSM7227A chipset: Xperia Tipo, Tipo Dual, Miro, J, E, E Dual

Common ADB drivers for Nicky board devices based on MSM8227 chipset: Xperia M, M Dual

Common ADB drivers for Viskan board devices based on MSM8960T chipset: Xperia SP

Common ADB drivers for Taoshan board devices based on MSM8230 chipset: Xperia L

Common ADB drivers for Rhine board devices based on MSM8974 chipset: Xperia Z Ultra, Z1, Z1 Compact, Z1s

Common ADB drivers for Tianchi board devices based on MSM8928 chipset: Xperia T2 Ultra, T2 Ultra Dual

Common ADB drivers for Shinano board devices based on MSM8974AB chipset: Xperia D65xx, other unannounced devices

Thanks DooMLoRD and Felipe!

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is a marvel of engineering in that it packs most of the Xperia Z1’s innards including the powerful chipset and 20.7MP camera sensor in a smaller chassis. The main compromise is a 4.3-inch 720p display instead of a 5-inch 1080p display, although we doubt in real life use you’d be able to tell the difference in pixel density between the two handsets.

To give you an idea of Sony’s engineering prowess, Russian site DGL disassembled the Xperia Z1 Compact and included a teardown video to show how it was done. They confirm in their write-up that the back cover is indeed plastic, which can be removed with heat from a hair dryer. Click through to find some disassembly pictures and teardown video (in Russian).

Xperia Z1 Compact disassembly

Once the case is opened, you can see the 2300mAh battery and NFC-antenna.

In previous Sony flagship devices, you could access the electronics as soon as the back cover was removed. In the Xperia Z1 Compact, to access the electronics you need to remove both the battery and another plastic partition first .

This plastic partition is mounted on double-sided tape, ensuring a water tight construction. It is impossible to remove this part without damaging the tape, therefore be aware your phone will no longer be water resistant. Another issue when removing the motherboard is that all connectors are located underneath it. This means trying to reconnect it is very tricky.

The back side of the motherboard is almost bare, unsurprising given the tight fit.

The front part is arranged tightly. You’ll notice the chipset covered with thermal paste.

Most antennas do not use latches and pads.

The handset uses two microphones to help with noise reduction. You can also see the main speaker here, the rear of the speaker is covered to protect it from water.

The Xperia Z1 Compact uses the same camera as its bigger brother.

Here you can see the headset jack towards the top right (where the white plastic piece sits).

The headphone jack in more detail.

Via DGL.ru.

Sony’s Smart Social Camera has been integrated into the company’s Android 4.3 update for all Xperia handsets that have been updated so far. It will be a key part of Sony’s camera UI in 2014 and the ability for third-parties to integrate with Sony’s camera is a big differentiator from other brands.

There are still a number of 2013 Xperia handsets where we await news of an update schedule, including the Xperia C, Xperia L and Xperia M. If you own the latter two, then there is some good news for you as xperiaz2 from XDA has ported the Smart Social Camera for these devices.

This will also give you access to a number of Sony’s camera apps including AR effect, Social live, Info-eye, Motionshot, Timeshift Burst, Motiongraph amongst others.

You can install this port through CWM recovery, so your phone will need to be rooted. There are separate flashable zip files depending on whether you are running Android 4.1.2 (single-SIM Xperia M owners) or Android 4.2.2 (Xperia L owners). You can find more information and the download links here.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra was unique in that you could navigate the display by using a pen or pencil. For once you didn’t need a capacitive stylus to do the same thing. Now apparently the Xperia Z1 also supports this feature, but Sony disabled it for one reason or another. A new mod enables this, bringing pencil/pen stylus support to the Xperia Z1.

The mod comes courtesy of RyokoN from XDA. AOKP originally introduced the mod, but RyokoN has enabled it on stock Sony Xperia ROMS. To install it there is an apk (download here), although root is required. When using pen mode it increases the sensitivity of the touchscreen, so you’ll need to use the toggle switch to turn it off when not you’re not using a stylus. For further information click here.

Thanks Kevin and Miron!

If you have a Sony Xperia device running Android 4.3 then there is a good chance that you are already familiar with Xperia Themes. After all it was one of the big new additions in the Xperia Android 4.3 update.

Xperia Themes allow you to customise your Sony Xperia device, with a heavily skinned theme covering icons, buttons, backgrounds, volume bars, nav bars, accent colours and more. Sony says close to 300 different graphical components can be changed when creating a theme. Despite this, all of the familiar controls and UI paths are retained.

The Xperia Themes run on top of Sony’s skin, which tell the OS to fetch resources (buttons, icons etc) from an external source – forming the skin. Xperia Themes are applied in runtime, so there is no need to restart the handset when applying a new theme.

Sony plans to increase the number of elements and apps that can be skinned going forward, so this customisable feature should only get better with time. There are currently over 20 Xperia Themes available via Sony Select (Settings > Personalisation > Theme), with more arriving all of the time. In particular, we look forward to the ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’, which you can get a teaser of below.

Via Sony Developer World.

The live wallpaper from the Sony Xperia Z2 has leaked, which means you can give this a try on your Xperia phone right now. You will need to make sure your handset is rooted and that it runs at least Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. To install, download the apk here and move it to system/app. You will then need to set the correct permissions (RW-, R–, R–) and reboot your handset once completed.

You can then activate the new Xperia live wallpaper. Please note that the colour used cannot be set, the colour of the wallpaper will change as you swipe around your home screens. The colour changes from Purple > Pink > Red > Orange > Yellow > Green > Blue > Purple. Enjoy!

Via XDA-developers.

Thanks aden!

The Sony Xperia Z2 (D6503) system dump has leaked for all to download. The system dump contains all of the goodies from a handset including specific apps, features, themes, wallpaper, home launcher and so on. The leak means that developers can now try to extract some of the best Xperia Z2 features and port them to other Xperia phones as well as integrating them into custom ROMs.

The Sony Xperia Z2 system dump comes from the Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware version number 17.1.A.0.289. A quick look at the PTCRB certification site, shows that this firmware has been superseded by a number of newer builds, the latest being version number 17.1.A.1.2.

Given the hardware similarities, we imagine Xperia Z1 owners would want to see 4K video recording and Timeshift video. Other neat features include double tap to wake, Smart backlight control and Smart call handling. What would you like to see ported to your Sony Xperia?

Via XDA-developers.

Thanks DooMLoRd!

The Sony Xperia Z2′s system dump was leaked over the weekend, which meant that developers were free to try and extract some of the phones best features. Well it has only been a few days and pretty much all of the key features have already been ported.

Rather than spam the blog, with every new Xperia Z2 port, we have rounded them all up in one post below. You will find a quick summary below and links to XDA, from where you’ll find more information and the download links too. In almost all cases you’ll need to have a rooted phone if you want to try these mods.

Xperia Z2 app/feature ports

Xperia Z2 Smart Social Camera

Information: Includes a number of Sony Social Camera apps including Creative Effects, Timeshift Video, 4K Video, Background Defocus 1.1.7 and AR Effect 2.0.4.
For: Sony Xperia phones running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean [AR Effect requires Android 4.1 Jelly bean and above]
Further information: XDA (from xperiaz2)

Smart Call handling

Information: Smart Call Handling uses motion gestures to answer and reject calls or turns your ringer off.
For: Sony Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact
Further information: XDA (from RyokoN)

Media apps (Walkman, Movies, Album)

Information: Download the latest versions of Sony’s media apps including WALKMAN 8.1.A.0.4, Album 5.4.A.0.10 and Movies 6.1.A.0.4
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Further information: XDA (from niaboc79)

Other Xperia Z2 apps (Clock, Calendar and more)

Information: Download Xperia Z2 ports of the Clock, Calendar, Email, Messaging, Notes and Sketch apps.
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Further information: XDA (from niaboc79) or XDA (from jjwrongjj)

Xperia Z2 home launcher

Information: Install the Xperia Z2 home launcher
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and above
Further information: XDA (from jzqs)

Xperia Z2 Movie Creator app, Simple Home launcher and Answering Machine

Information: Install the Xperia Z2 Movie Creator app (allows you to edit video), Simple Home launcher (created for the elderly with simple UI and large fonts) and Answering Machine
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and above
Further information: XDA (from Levered)

Xperia Z2 Music widget

Information: Download the music widget from the Xperia Z2, that allows you to scroll through parts of a song whilst in the lock screen.
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and above
Further information: XDA (from jzqs)

Xperia Z2 Themes and Task killer

Information: Download a number of Xperia Z2 themes as well as a “Close all” task killer.
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and above
Further information: XDA (from FateNozomi)

Xperia Z2 media sounds

Information: Install the Xperia Z2 media sounds and camera click sounds.
For: Sony Xperia devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above
Further information: XDA (from Pandemic)

Late last month we saw that the live wallpaper from the upcoming Sony Xperia Z2 had leaked (version 1.0.A.0.9). However the apk only really worked on rooted handsets for the majority. Well we know have a new modified apk that should work just as well on handsets that are not rooted courtesy of ra3al from XDA.

We can confirm it works fine on a non-rooted Xperia Z1. A quick tip, if you previously tried to download the live wallpaper, you’ll probably have to uninstall it first (Settings > Apps). You can download the apk from here.

One of the new camera apps found on the Xperia T2 Ultra is called Portrait retouch, The camera app allows you to apply different styles to your portrait. You will also be able to see the changes in real time, before capturing the shot.

The app has just been ported for use with all Xperia handsets running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above. It even works with the Xperia L and Xperia M. To install, download the zip package here and then either flash via ClockworkMod Recovery or move the files to System > App. You will need to be rooted for this to work.

Via XDA-developers (1 and 2).

Flashtool is probably one of the most useful tools for Sony Xperia devices. It was started by Bin4ry from XDA back in the Xperia X10 days. Androxyde has since taken the lead, continuing to update and build the program with help from other devs such as DooMLoRD. It is an essential tool used to install new firmware versions using FTF firmware files.

The latest version of Flashtool (0.9.15.0) is now available to download from the Flashtool site. The update brings support for Sony’s new 2014 Xperia devices. So if you’re planning on buying any of the new devices, including the Xperia Z2, then you should download it now to get yourself ready.

The user guide for the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra dual is now live. The manual should help answer any questions you may have on the handset. The manual sits at 116 pages. You can download the English manual below, user guides for other languages can be downloaded here.

Xperia T2 Ultra dual manual

The user guides for the Sony Xperia E1 and Xperia E1 dual are now live. The manuals should help answer any questions you may have on the handset. The manuals sit at around 99 pages. You can download the English manual below, user guides for other languages can be downloaded here for the Xperia E1 and here for the Xperia E1 dual.

Xperia E1 manual
Xperia E1 dual manual

Xperia E1 manual

Xperia E1 dual manual

We haven’t seen the Sony Xperia Z2 hit retail yet, but that hasn’t stopped the user guide appearing. The manual should help answer any questions you may have on the handset. Much like the Xperia Z1, it confirms the handset has a hard reset button and shows how you can insert the micro SIM and microSD memory cards. The manual sits at 127 pages. You can download the English manual below, user guides for other languages can be downloaded here.

Xperia Z2 manual

Xperia Z2 manual

Sony has started to ship the Xperia Z2 Tablet, well at least the Wi-Fi version, so it will be no surprise to learn that the user guides for both LTE and Wi-Fi versions are now available. The manuals should help answer any questions you may have on Sony’s latest tablet.

The LTE manual sits at 117 pages, whilst the Wi-Fi manual is 99 pages. You can download the English manuals below, user guides for other languages can be downloaded here for the LTE version and here for the Wi-Fi version.

Xperia Z2 Tablet LTE manual
Xperia Z2 Tablet Wi-Fi manual

Xperia Z2 Tablet LTE manual

Xperia Z2 Tablet Wi-Fi manual

Sony Mobile has just released a new Xperia Theme for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Sony has launched the free theme to tie in with the forthcoming movie release. It’s a really nice theme, with a number of customised elements across all parts of the UI (see our screenshots below). If you want to download it yourself, you’ll need a Sony Xperia device running Android 4.3 and above. You won’t find it via Sony Select though, you will need to download it via the Google Play Store.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Xperia Theme

Here you can see the delete app icon.

If you want to delete apps from the system tray, you get these cool web icons to show what can be deleted.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 lock screen image.

Thanks @KonGaZ2!

Swedish developer Knowit Mobile already has a number of Xperia Themes in the Google Play Store. It has now released seven more, which includes three freebies. You won’t find these themes through Sony Select right now, so you’ll have to go direct to the Google Play Store. You will find links to the Play Store and pictures of each of the new themes below. Our favourite from the selection below is Polybox, what is yours?

Free Xperia Themes

Blue Water

Clean Foggy

Color Pixel

Paid Xperia Themes (£0.95, €1.00, $1.00)

Rusty

Paid Xperia Themes (£1.89, €2.00, $2.00)

Organix

Polybox

Reality

Thanks Patryk!