Sony says its Android 8.0 Oreo build features Ambient display, but in which phones?

We all invest in big brand flagship phones to enjoy the latest and greatest features being served in the smartphone market. Don’t we? But what if the company doesn’t incorporate what it claims, and what you pay for? Case in point: Sony.

Recently, the Japanese company published a promo video for its Android 8.0 build, which (at 1:20) shows Android Oreo features available on Xperia phones.

As you can see, the list contains a feature called ‘Ambient screen’ (highlighted in green). But, as is stands currently, this functionality is not available on any of the company’s Android 8.0-powered phones, including the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact (which run Oreo out of the box) as well as the XZ Premium (which recently got the Android 8.0 update).

Yeah, we can see that disclaimer at the bottom that says “availability of some features may depend on device models,” but the fact of the matter is that Ambient display is not available on ANY of the Oreo-powered Xperias in the market. And that’s the problem we think is worth highlighting.

For those of you naive, Ambient screen (or Ambient display, as it’s more popularly called) is the display on lock screen which usually comes to life whenever there’s a new notification, as can be seen in the following image:

Surprising is the fact that a company as big as Sony can claim features that their devices actually don’t possess. Yeah, we understand that there could be plans to add Ambient display to Xperia devices in future, but that doesn’t give the company the right to claim features that are no where to be seen currently.

We hope Sony will take note of this discrepancy, and will at least offer an explanation on why is this the case. Meanwhile, do let us know your thoughts on the matter in comments below.

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