PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board) has issued a certification for a firmware update with build number 28.0.A.7.24 for Sony's flagship devices, the Xperia Z4 tablet (SGP771) and Xperia Z3+ (E6553) smartphones. It follows the last certified firmware build number 28.0.A.6.8 dated June 1, 2015.
However, it has not been confirmed if this firmware update will solve the overheating problems plaguing Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 SoC powering both devices. Sony has reportedly admitted there are thermal issues confronting its flagship devices and promised to roll out a software update to fix the problem.
Qualcomm has stood its ground amid the poor thermal management of its Snapdragon 810 chip processors, and it claimed that the company was able to revise the products before being incorporated into the latest devices of manufacturers such as Motorola, Microsoft, Sony and Xiaomi.
However, the overheating issues continued, and the most recent complainants are Japanese owners of the Xperia Z4. Japanese retailers have issued advisories to owners of devices running on the Snapdragon 810 chips to regularly shut down their units from time to time while playing graphics-intensive games or running multi-tasking apps or to completely turn off phones during charging to avoid thermal problems and prolong the handset's durability.
Xperia Z4 smartphones are apparently displaying pop-up messages stating that the apps need to close due to overheating problems, causing owners great inconvenience especially since the Xperia Z4 was advertised to handle such apps smoothly.
There have been reports that a "fix" has been successful on a number of Snapdragon 810-powered handsets through thermal throttling, or essentially not allowing the CPU to reach its maximum rate performance to maintain its cool temperature. Ultimately, it is up to the users if they are be satisfied with uninterrupted phone usage at the expense of the handset's overall performance.
Sony has not indicated if the company will be using the same fix or other solutions to resolve the thermal problems. The sooner a resolution is reached, however, the better, since such reports may already have caused bad publicity and dissuaded those who plan to purchase the Xperia Z3+.
We will have to wait for Sony's official announcement and the feedback of Xperia Z3+ owners who managed to receive the firmware update.
