Sony has just released the first maintenance release of Android Lollipop last week while everyone in the mobile tech department has been scrambling to get the 5.1.1 software version of Lollipop and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. With the stiff competition in the Android population, will Sony keep up with the pressure and skip 5.1.1 in favor of Marshmallow?

Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z & Xperia Z Ultra among the older phones of the Japanese tech titan to receive the Android 5.1 Lollipop update. According to reports, Sony has been too behind the rat race in Android updates as Samsung has already been pushing forward while HTC and LG promise a jump-off to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This strengthens reports that Sony might also be doing the same stuff with LG.

Sony is one brand in the market to release overdue updates to its smartphones and tablets. However, hopes are still high for some as Sony has begun rolling out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update.

Android 5.1 Lollipop comes via over-the-air update. It is available in stages depending on the carrier and/or region. If prompted for the update, just tap "Install Now" and follow onscreen instructions. To manually check for the download, go to Settings > About phone > Software updates > System updates. Also, check the software version before download by going to Settings > About phone > Build number/version.

Make sure the phone is fully charged and storage has enough memory space. Sony recommends using Wi-Fi connection instead of data.

To download through PC, connect device to computer using the cable. Complete guide can be found here.

Android 5.1 Lollipop brings the following features:

• Improvements to volume and silent mode control and more control of your alerts
• All new LinkedIn integration - be more productive with intuitive Calendar sync
• General stability and performance improvements

Other devices qualified for the update include Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia C3, Xperia M2, and Xperia M2 Aqua.