Sony is rolling out Android 9 (Pie) to its D, E, F, and G generations of Android TVs from second half 2016 to 2019. The new firmware will also add support for 100/120Hz video platback.
Update 20.11.2020: Firmware (
v6.7140) is now rolling also rolling out in Europe.
Update 11.11.2020: Firmware (
v6.7140) is now rolling out in the US, Canada and other regions. Still pending in Europe. Table has been updated as additional models including Z9D (ZD9), X93E (XE93) and X800D (XD80) have been confirmed.
Android 9 for Sony TVs
Sony will bring Android 9 (Pie) to many of its previous TV models, including the A1, A8F (AF8) and A8G (AG8) OLED TVs as well as the X700D (XD70), X900E (XE90), and X900F (XF90) LCD TVs. The full list is included in the table at the bottom.
Android 9 includes mostly bug and performance fixes. There is a new Settings menu and some visual tweaks. In addition, Sony says that the firmware will combine the "Video, Album, and Music apps into the Media Player app" and that it will add "support for HEVC 100/120Hz in USB video playback", although it is not clear which models it will apply to.
The firmware update (version 6.7115) is rolling out now in Latin America. Sony Europe confirms to FlatpanelsHD that it should be available in Europe before the end of 2020. We have not received specific confirmation regarding the US but it is worth noting that the TV models in the US are the same as in those in Latin America.
Update 11.11.2020: Firmware (v6.7140) is now rolling out in the US, Canada and other regions. Still pending in Europe.
Android 9 was released publicly in late 2018 so the update arrives very late – and later than on newer Sony TVs. The company has not commented on its plans for Android 10 and Android 11 on TVs, but Google has said that Google TV will come to some unspecified Sony TVs in the future.
Also read: Android 9, AirPlay & HomeKit released for Sony A9G/AG9, A9F/A9F OLED TVs
Sony's first Android TVs from 2015 and the first half of 2016 are not included in this update and no plan to bring Android 9 to these TVs has been announced. These TVs are running Android 7 on a previous-generation MediaTek SoC.
Competing companies like LG, Samsung, and Panasonic are not providing major software updates to their respective webOS, Tizen, and MyHomeScreen platforms after launch.
Android 9 (Pie) for 2016-2019 Sony TVs
Benefits and Improvements:
- Combines the Video, Album, and Music apps into the Media Player app
Note: After the update, the App menu will display the Music and Media Player apps only, but will contain all the content from the Video, Album, and Music apps.
- Adds support for HEVC 100/120Hz in USB video playback
- Removes the WPS function
- Adds support for the Android 9 Pie Setting menu tree
- Redesigns the Setting menu
Applicable models:
Note: Sony has released a list of applicable models only for Latin America at this time. Additional models such as Z9D (ZD9) and X93E (XE93) may (based on their SoC) be applicable for the update but it has not been confirmed at this time. In the table below, FlatpanelsHD has added 'also known as' and the model name equivalent for Europe.
Update: Table updated as additional models including Z9D (ZD9), X93E (XE93) and X800D (XD80) have been confirmed.
| Model name (Americas) | Also known as | Model name in Europe |
|---|
| XBR-55A8G | A8G / AG8 | 55AG8 | | XBR-65A8G | A8G / AG8 | 65AG8 | | XBR-49X800G | X800G / XG80 | 49XG80** | | XBR-55X800G | X800G / XG80 | 55XG80** | | XBR-65X800G | X800G / XG80 | 65XG80** | | XBR-75X800G | X800G / XG80 | 75XG80** | | XBR-55A8F | A8F / AF8 | 55AF8 | | XBR-65A8F | A8F / AF8 | 65AF8 | | XBR-60X830F | X830F / XF83 | 60XF83** | | XBR-70X830F | X830F / XF83 | 70XF83** | | XBR-75X850F | X850F / XF85 | 75XF85** | | XBR-85X850F | X850F / XF85 | 85XF85** | | XBR-65X850F | X850F / XF85 | 65XF85** | | XBR-49X900F | X900F / XF90 | 49XF90** | | XBR-55X900F | X900F / XF90 | 55XF90** | | XBR-65X900F | X900F / XF90 | 65XF90** | | XBR-75X900F | X900F / XF90 | 75XF90** | | XBR-85X900F | X900F / XF90 | 85XF90** | | KD-49X750F | X750F / XF75 | 43XF75** | | KD-49X750F | X750F / XF75 | 49XF75** | | KD-55X750F | X750F / XF75 | 55XF75** | | KD-65X750F | X750F / XF75 | 65XF75** | | XBR-65X750D | X750D / XD75 | 65XD75** | | XBR-55X700D | X700D / XD70 | 55XD75** | | XBR-49X700D | X700D / XD70 | 49XD75** | | XBR-43X800D | X800D / XD80 | 43XD80** | | XBR-49X800D | X800D / XD80 | 49XD80** | | XBR-55A1E | A1 | 55A1 | | XBR-65A1E | A1 | 65A1 | | XBR-77A1E | A1 | 77A1 | | XBR-49X800E | X800E / XE80 | 49XE80** | | XBR-55X800E | X800E / XE80 | 55XE80** | | XBR-65X850E | X850E / XE85 | 65XE85** | | XBR-75X850E | X850E / XE85 | 75XE85** | | XBR-49X900E | X900E / XE90 | 49XE90** | | XBR-55X900E | X900E / XE90 | 55XE90** | | XBR-65X900E | X900E / XE90 | 65XE90** | | XBR-75X900E | X900E / XE90 | 75XE90** | | XBR-55X930E | X93E / XE93 | 55XE93** | | XBR-65X930E | X93E / XE93 | 65XE93** | | XBR-75X940E | X94E / XE94 | 75XE94** | | XBR-65Z9D | Z9D / ZD9 | 65ZD9 | | XBR-75Z9D | Z9D / ZD9 | 75ZD9 | | XBR-100Z9D | Z9D / ZD9 | 100ZD9 | |
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