It took a while, but it’s finally here—it looks like Sony’s Xperia 1 VIII flagship is finally getting the much-anticipated Android 17 release , which brings several new features for the device. The update is available for the 1TB and 256GB models of the phone, bringing the software version to 73.1.A.2.74 with the October 1st 2026 security patch.

That said, Android 17 comes with a new Desktop mode for external displays, expanded customization options for the Quick settings panel, Lock screen, and Home screen, and simplified screen recording. Additionally, Quick Share on the Xperia 1 VIII now supports AirDrop, allowing users to seamlessly share photos and files with iPhone users, a feature that’s been available on other Android phones for some time now.

As it is a gradual rollout, the update might vary by operator, market, region, and country—when the update becomes available, a system update icon will appear in the phone’s status bar, and users can install it by opening the Notification panel, selecting the…