Update Sony Xperia Z1 C6906 to Latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 Firmware

Xperia Z1 has another variant modeled as C6906, other variants include C6902/3/943, basically the difference is only between the LTE connectivity or the band frequencies while the phones sport the same hardware and software specifications e.g 5.0 inches full Hd display with 441 ppi, 20.7 MP camera at the back and a 2 MP on the front, 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad Core chipset, 2 GB RAM and 3000 mAh battery under the back.

Sony has recently pushed an update in the device, initially Xperia Z1 ran on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean but the device is now updated to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. In the latest firmware Sony has fixed a lot of bugs, specially the bootloader unlocked bug that caused the camera to crash. You can unlock your phone’s bootloader safely now, there are performance enhancements, camera app is improved, new themes are added and a lot more that you may check out once you update.

The device can be updated via Over The Air updates but the OTA updates take some time to reach different regions as the rollout is always region specific, perhaps if you are one of those who can’t wait and want to get your hands on the latest and greatest firmware of Android, then we have the solution right here for you. In the following post I have explained the method to install Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 latest firmware in Sony Xperia Z1 6906. Let’s move a little forward.

Here are some pre-requisites:

Pre Requisites:

1. As mentioned, this firmware is only for Xperia Z1 C6906. 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 Z1 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. All you need is, your device must be the one mentioned and must be running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
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. Alright! Follow this guide to the letter in order to prevent any mishap.

For other Xperia Z1 variants, Check out:

• Install Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 Firmware on Sony Xperia Z1 C6903
• Update Sony Xperia Z1 C6902 to Latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 Firmware
• How to Update Sony Xperia Z1 C6943 to Latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 Firmware

How to Install Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 14.2.A.0.290 on Xperia Z1 C6906:

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 14.2.A.0.290 FTF file.
3. Copy the file and paste in Flashtool>Firmwares folder.
4. Open Flashtool.exe now.
5. Hit the small lightening button on the top left corner and select Flashmode.
6. Select the FTF firmware file that you placed in the Firmware folder. 
7. From the right side, select what do you want to wipe. Data, cache and apps log, all wipes are recommended, perhaps you may select if you don’t want.
8. Click on OK, and it will start preparing the firmware for flashing. This may take a little while to load.
9. 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.
10. For Xperia Z1, Volume Down key will do the job of back key, just turn off your phone, keep the Volume Down key pressedand plug in the data cable.
11. 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.
12. As soon as you see “Flashing ended or Finished Flashing” leave the Volume Down key, plug the cable out and reboot.
13. That’s All! Congrats! You’ve installed latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on your Xperia Z1 C6906. Enjoy
14. 

That’s all for now, in case you got any queries, suggestions or face any difficulties regarding this post, please feel free to stop by the comment box below. We will try our best to sort it out for you.