Sony is rebuilding its Android software from scratch in an effort to generate more interest in its Xperia smartphone business, and it’s about to begin trialling it with 500 users in Sweden. These screenshots provide us all with a sneak peek at the software in advance.

Sony describes the new software as “a fresh take on our user experience based on Android 5.1, Lollipop,” with a “stripped back, vanilla Android look and feel, with native Sony features and apps we find most popular amongst our users.”

At first glance, then, the software does look a lot like pure Lollipop, though you’ll notice a few Sony icons that have adopted Google’s Material Design guidelines — and the company’s unmistakable clock widget.

Sony’s trial will provide the company with feedback and help it identify bugs as it continues development on the new firmware, which doesn’t yet have a public release date. But it’s clear the concept is currently in an early stage, so we likely won’t see it rolling out to a wider audience until next year.

• SourceSony