Sony plans to end Xperia Beta Program soon

Earlier this year, Sony launched its Xperia Beta Program in order to test its then-upcoming Marshmallow release. It has been a handful of months since and now Sony Mobile has confirmed it is shutting down the beta program, the reasons for which aren't clear. The company will be pushing out new firmware for the Xperia Z2 and Z3 soon, and all present beta program members will get this firmware automatically.

According to Xperia Blog, Sony Mobile has confirmed that it won't be pushing out any new beta firmware releases — that means those who got 23.5.A.1.238 can consider the beta program officially closed, as it was the last firmware to be introduced under it. Whether Sony plans to launch a new beta program in the future isn't clear at this time.

The aforementioned Z2 and Z3 owners will get the newest (finalized) firmware releases "in the coming weeks," though no specific date was provided. If you've been an Xperia Beta Program member, you will see this update eventually roll your way without any action on your part.

Sony put a handful of Xperia phones up for preorder late last month including the Xperia X and the X Performance. By July 7, it had slashed the price of the Xperia X, raising questions about demand for the phone and whether Sony's latest spat of mobile products can find success in the US. Check out the timeline below for more Xperia news!