It can backup applications, contacts, messages, phone settings. Sony has a proprietary backup solution built-in on its Xperias. It's easy to use the split screen mode, but there is no way of knowing which app supports it - you have to start it first and then try to snap it. If a running app supports split screen, you will be able to snap it at the top or bottom of the screen right from the rolodex. The small apps are gone and are replaced by a Split Screen feature. The app switcher is, a similarly vanilla Android affair, with the 3D rolodex look and a End All Apps button. It's the way stock Android is set up, but we miss that option there and Sony could have used the Oreo update opportunity to introduce it. What's missing is a toggle for Auto brightness (you need to go into the settings for that). You can re-arrange the quick toggle tiles and adjust the screen brightness. Besides themes, the Xperia launcher also offers wallpapers, grid settings and various transition animation options. Some themes are even interactive, with their wallpapers reacting to your touches. Themes are available (both free and paid) that can customize the look and sound of the Xperia XZ1. Most of these are buried quite deep, so stick around as we show you a few more in a bit. This is just one of the many Oreo goodies to be found on the XZ1. If you happen to like something, the pin button brings the corresponding shortcut to the home screen. Now when you long press on an app, the launcher gives you the ability to uninstall it or enter its properties page, as well as a list of in-app shortcuts and quick access features. One new detail we noticed is the absence of Sony's traditional app management mode. The app drawer lets you sort the apps by frequency of use, name, date installed or a custom arrangement. Sony takes great pride in the A/V prowess of their devices, and the multimedia apps are all custom and feature-rich, but more on those in their dedicated chapter. The traditional app drawer is present, and you'll find a number of proprietary apps pre-installed. The search field is highlighted so you can start typing the app's name immediately. This includes the swipe down gesture, which shows a screen of the apps you use most along with recommendations for new apps to install. The homescreen appears unchanged from previous Xperia generations. It gives you conditional security - trusted nearby devices, locations, faces, or voices can allow you to skip the security protocol that you may have set up on the phone. There is also the Android-native Smart Lock. Of course, the standard Android unlock methods are present as well. You still get some level of customization, including a few different clock designs and some notification area tweaks. Be default, you get a clock and date widget and a pair of quick unlock shortcuts. The lockscreen itself is nothing special. If you have simple Swipe unlock enabled (without any PIN or password) you can tap on the Power button to unlock instead, provided you've woken up the device first. We already mentioned the signature fingerprint reader, which triggers an animation that slides the lockscreen away from your thumb (as if you pushed it out of the way). Unlike some of its competitors, Sony is still sticking to the basics when it comes to biometric authentication methods. Since not much has changed in the UI itself, we'll try to keep our tour brief. This means the Xperia ROM is light on the chipset even if it's not as full of features as some of its competitors. Sony uses a UI close to stock Android, and focuses most of its efforts in its in-house apps that come preloaded. Long-term Sony fans should feel right at home with what is essentially the same Xperia launcher and overall light level of OS customization. Don't really expect a radical change in the UI of the device as most of the changes are under the hood, but they improve the user experience quite significantly. One of the highlight features of the new Xperia XZ1, and its Compact sibling for that matter, is the latest available Android 8.0 Oreo OS.
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