Google's 2011 Galaxy Nexus smartphone got Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest version of the software, along with the company's Nexus 7 tablet. Sony's Android-based smartphones, however, won't be getting the software.

Sony's UK product manager for Sony Mobile, John Cooper, confirmed the news in a fan Q&A on Facebook. "Unfortunately Arc S won't be getting the Jelly Bean updated [sic] but we're always developing new phones and making sure they get the latest updates," Cooper confirmed.

Sony hasn't made an official announcement, so it's unclear whether the company would have made this news available. The Xperia blog seemed to think that the 2012 Xperia range will be getting Jelly Bean. Perhaps the Jelly Bean assumption is due to recent hardware upgrades, or Sony wanting to support its recent devices.

Cooper also confirmed that the Xperia Mini Pro won't get the Jelly Bean update, while Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has been approved for Xperia S handsets. "We currently don't have anything to announce regarding Jelly Bean for the Xperia S," Cooper averred during the Q&A session.

Cooper simply asked fans if there is interest in 2012's Xperia devices. Not exactly reassuring news for users purchasing older Sony devices, a trend which may largely be attributed to cheaper contract offerings.

Samsung, traditionally late in bringing the latest versions of Android to its devices, could be bringing Jelly Bean to the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2. SamMobile reported testing is underway on the devices and the S2 could get the latest version of Android if testing goes well. The Galaxy S3 launched with Ice Cream Sandwich on May 29.

Jelly Bean, despite being labeled version 4.1, brought new and major features. Google Now is a real-time updating service, automatically updating sports scores or a changing flight terminal, while Project Butter increases the overall performance of the operating system. It's noticeable when swiping between screens, which had seemed slightly delayed on previous versions of Android.

Cooper didn't share a date for when 2012's Xperia devices would get Jelly Bean, if ever.