Update Sony Xperia M Dual C2004/C2005 to Official Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 15.5.A.0.18 Firmware

Recently Sony started updating it’s mid-range device Xperia M to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Xperia M came in different variants, one with dual SIM slot and the other with single SIM slot, at first they updates were available for the C1904/C1905 [Single SIM] smartphones but Sony didn’t want to keep the Dual SIM Xperia M owners waiting for a long time and started seeding out the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean updates to Xperia M Dual C2004 and C2005 owners through OTA updates and through Sony PC Companion. All of you might be well aware of the update roll outs, that these updates take quite a long time to hit different regions as these are region-specific usually, so just in case you’re Sony Xperia M Dual owner and you haven’t detected the latest update at your end, chances are you may get a little disappointed but you may not worry at all and that’s only what we are here for.

Let’s have a look on Android 4.3 Update changes first:

• New Camera UI with Sony Smart Social Camera.
• New Camera Effects i.e AR Effects, Timeshift etc.
• New Themes and Wallpapers.
• Messaging and other Native apps are improved.
• Latest Security Enhancements for Android 4.3
• Stamina Mode for Battery.
• Media Apps Walkman, Album Movies.
• New Burst Mode in Camera App.

In the following post we are going to install latest firmware official / stock Android 4.3 Jelly Bean based on the build number 15.5.A.0.18 on Sony Xperia M Dual C2004 and C2005 through Sony Flashtool. The method is much easy and doesn’t require any hard and fast rules, all you need to do is to read the instructions carefully and get it done successfully by following our step by step guide.  Let’s start it now by first having a look on important installation notes.

Pre Requisites:

1. As mentioned, this firmware is only for Xperia M Dual C2004 and C2005. Do not try this on any other phone, that may result in bricking your device. Check your device’s model number in Settings > About device.
2. You must have installed Sony Flashtool. Find the full guide here.
3. After installing Sony Flashtool, open the Flashtool folder from the drive where you installed it.
4. Now open Flashtool>Drivers>Flashtool-drivers.exe and install the Flashtool, Fastboot & Xperia M  drivers from the list. [Important]
5. Your phone must be charged at least over 60%. This is highly recommended in order to prevent any power issues during the flashing process.
6. Enable USB debugging mode on your device. To do so, tap settings>developer options>USB debugging. If you can’t find developer options in settings, then tap settings > about device and tap “Build Number” for 7 times and you’ll get em’ activated under settings.
7. Make sure that you back up all your important media content,  contacts, call logs and text messages. This is highly recommended and important in case something goes wrong during the flashing process or in case you select the data wipe option before flashing. You can easily restore whenever you need.
8. To flash this firmware, you do not need to root your device, you do not need to unlock the bootloader.
9. Download the firmware file properly.
10. Use the OEM data cable to connect your phone to your PC. Using any other data cable might cause connection problems.
11. This firmware can be flashed on Xperia M Dual in any region/any country.
12. Alright! Follow this guide to the letter in order to prevent any mishap.

How to Install Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 15.5.A.0.18 firmware on Xperia M Dual C2004/C2005:

1. Before moving forward, please make sure that you’ve read the pre requisites and ensure that you are set to go ahead.
2. Download the latest firmware Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 15.5.A.0.18 FTF file for C2004 [Generic]
3. Download the latest firmware Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 15.5.A.0.18 FTF file for C2005 [Generic]
4. Extract the downloaded rar file and you will get the ftf.
5. Copy the file and paste in Flashtool>Firmwares folder.
6. Open Flashtool.exe now.
7. Hit the small lightening button on the top left corner and select Flashmode.
8. Select the FTF firmware file that you placed in the Firmware folder. 
9. From the right side, select what do you want to wipe. Data, cache and apps log, all wipes are recommended, however you may select if you don’t want.
10. Click on OK, and it will start preparing the firmware for flashing. This may take a little while to load.
11. As soon as the firmware is loaded, it will prompt you to attach the phone by turning it off and keeping the back key press.
12. For Xperia M Dual, Volume Down key will do the job of back key, just turn off your phone, keep the Volume Down key pressed and plug in the data cable.
13. As soon as the phone is detected in Flashmode, the firmware will start flashing, Do not leave the Volume Down key until the process is complete.
14. As soon as you see “Flashing ended or Finished Flashing” leave the Volume Down key, plug the cable out and reboot.
15. That’s All! Congrats! You’ve installed latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on your Xperia M Dual C2004 or C2005. Enjoy!

That’s All. In case you got any queries or you’re facing any difficulties regarding this post, please feel free to stop by the comment box below and drop us your words. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks All.