The Sony Xperia Z Tablet now has a stock Android operating system available for those who prefer a simpler, cleaner interface without extra features from Sony or mobile carriers.
"We are happy to announce that we are adding Xperia Tablet Z to our Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for Xperia devices, with the help of our pals at Sony Mobile," Sony wrote on its blog.
Sony released the AOSP for the XPeria Z smartphone recently, and as with that release, this is mainly intended for developers, though laypeople who know what they are doing can also get in on the action.
"As usual, we must emphasize that the purpose of this project is not to make stable software suited for daily use. The AOSP for Xperia Tablet Z project starts off in a very similar state as the current status of AOSP for Xperia Z. Check out the code on our GitHub for the latest technical status," Sony wrote.
AT this piint, the installation process is pretty DIY. "All collaboration and contributions will be handled through the GitHub tool, so just head over to the project you're interested in on GitHub. In the readme files over at GitHub, you will find all instructions needed to compile and build the project. Make yourself familiar with the code, and feel free to have a look at the issue list to see where you might be able to help out," says the Sony blog.
The Sony Xperia Z tablet is the world's thinnest and lightest Android tablet, weighing just 1.09 pounds and measuring just over a quarter inch thick. It features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, a 10-inch 1900x1200 display, an 8-megapixel camera and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, though Sony has promised a quick upgrade to 4.2. It is waterproof down to a meter in depth for up to half an hour.
Check back for the latest information on the Xperia Z tablet as it becomes available.