New flash tool from Sony for unlocked Xperia™ smartphones [video + beta download]

Today, we release a beta version of our new flash tool for Xperia devices, which enables you to put on standard Sony software* on a Sony Xperia™ smartphone which has the boot loader unlocked. This functionality has often been requested by the open Android™ community, and now we’re glad to support it. Please note that the phone still stays unlocked, and that the warranty may still be voided. As this is a beta version, only a limited number of phone models are supported to begin with. Read on for instructions and more information, and to find out how provide us feedback – we are really eager to hear what you think!

At Sony, we have been supporting the custom ROM community for a long time, and our unlock boot loader service is very popular. We know that many of you are advanced users, who like to try out different ROMs on your Xperia™ smartphones. But until now, there has been no way to go from a custom ROM to Sony software.

We are proud to provide high quality, stable software for our phones, and with this new flash tool, you can now flash standard Sony software on a Sony Xperia™ smartphone which has the boot loader unlocked. However, please note that the boot loader of your phone still stays unlocked.

To start with, you can use this flash tool with Xperia™ S, Xperia™ arc and Xperia™ arc S, but we plan to add support for more models going forward. UPDATE: Support for Xperia™ T added. At the moment, one software version is available for each supported phone, but our ambition is to offer a selection of software versions released for each phone. For example, this could mean that you can choose between GB and ICS releases.

This flash tool is available for most markets globally**, with a few exceptions*** due to distribution restrictions.

How to install and use the flash tool for Xperia™
To get started, you download and install the flash tool on your Windows computer. When you use it, the tool connects to a server to access the software for your phone. To download the flash tool, go to the Xperia flash tool installation page. On that page, you will also find all instructions you need to install the tool.

Screenshot showing the flash tool when a phone is connected.

When you have installed the flash tool, it’s easy to flash software onto your unlocked Xperia™ smartphone. Once you have connected the phone to the computer, the tool automatically identifies the phone model and displays the available software. For more information on how to use the flash tool, go to using the flash tool for Xperia.

Note! When you flash software onto your phone with the flash tool, your user data and content will be erased. Make sure to properly back up all information.

Let us know what you think
So now you’re welcome to try the flash tool for yourself! Since it is a beta version, we are eager to find out what you think about it. Is this a useful service? And what phone models and software would you like to see support for in the future? Please share your opinion on the XDA forum, where we’ve started a thread for this flash tool. And as always, you can drop us a comment below to let us know what you think!

More information

• Learn more about the flash tool for Xperia.
• Download the flash tool for Xperia.
• Use our unlock boot loader service.

What others say about this

• Engadget
• The Verge
• Android Central
• Xperia blog
• Android Authority
• Android Police
• Mobile Syrup
• Andrew Dodd on Google +

* Only a limited number of phones and software versions will be available.

** The flash tool for Xperia™ devices is intended for the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Congo (Republic of the), Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France (including Guadeloupe), French Guiana, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherland Antilles, Netherlands (including Bonaire), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

*** China, North Korea, Iran, Burma, Cuba, Sudan and Syria.