Updated June 15, 2018: Sony's announcement of ending development for Xperia Home left us wondering what the future would hold, but thanks to a developer for the launcher, Erika Prymus, we now have a better idea as to what's going on. According to Erika, "The reason for discontinuing new feature development in the current Xperia Home Application is that we are developing a new Home Application." We don't know what the new launcher will look like or what features it'll have, but chances are we'll get to see it with one of Sony's next flagships.
Most Android OEMs outfit their phones with their own skin on top of Android, and with that, a custom launcher. Sony's phones have long come with the Xperia Home launcher, and following the latest update that landed on June 11, development for it will be ending.
As noted by moderator Erika Prymus for the Xperia Home Open Beta on Google+:
A business decision has been taken that our current launcher, Xperia Home should enter maintenance phase.
In this "maintenance phase", Xperia Home will no longer receive new features. There will still be updates down the road, but they'll strictly be focused on removing bugs "for as long as deemed necessary."
Additionally, this transition also means that the Xperia Home Open Beta program will be ending.
The latest update to Xperia Home (11.3.A.0.17) prior to this switch was mostly focused on bug fixes anyways. As noted by Sony, some of the highlights include fixes for widgets not updating, crashes when trying to open a photo from search, and more.
What does this mean for the future of launchers on Sony phones? Although Xperia Home will probably keep on chugging for a while to come, it's likely that Sony's either looking to create an all-new experience or just go the Nokia route and mimic the Pixel Launcher. I'd prefer to see the latter of those two things, but only time will tell.
Are you a Sony fan? What do you think about the end of Xperia Home?
Best Android Launchers in 2018
The first renders of the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE reveal a familiar design
The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to receive an early launch this year, and the first renders show a design that's not too far off from Samsung's current flagships.
Oddworld: Soulstorm doesn't impress in PlayStation Plus
Sony's delivering more incentives to purchase a PlayStation Plus membership by offering new games that launch for free. Oddworld: Soulstorm is the latest, but it's just an ok addition.
The chip shortage means Google has to get its own chip out ASAP
Google can fix the global shortage of Snapdragon chips. All it needs to do is build its own, and then get them into devices that it can actually sell to people.
Break a sweat with these great Oculus Quest 2 exercise games and apps
Do you prefer your workouts to challenge your full body? Do you care more about aerobics or muscle training? Do you need a high-speed soundtrack or a high score to motivate you? Or do you want a game first and foremost, with exercise as a happy bonus? Whatever your preferences, we have the best Oculus Quest 2 VR experiences to keep you healthy while staying indoors.