[Q] Z1 Compact Chinese version M51w - google services not available but needed

Dear all,

desperately I am looking for a solution for a kind of very stupid and annoying problem:

I bought my Sony z1 compact in China. Model version: M51, Also called "colorful" in China
This Phone has a for China modified Android version installed. Nothing related to google works.
Well, sure the search engine in the browser. But I need the calendar, play store, etc.

Now I am thinking, has anybody experience with this device? ( only find posts to D5503)
Would it be possible to just update it with an international version? (Android 4.4 firmware 14.3.A.0.681)

Do i need to root, unlock Bootloader, or should a "normal update" work was well?
Or any other suggestions how to proceed?

I come the Apple world, where a jailbreak is one download and one click, I rooted a Xiaomi 2s with some small difficulties, but this looks way more complicated with this phone.... So any help would be appreciated..

Thanks,
mic

solved!

Well, developers,

forums are something strange. I really thought that anybody had a suggestion, a thought, an idea or whatever... 70 views and not a single answer.
Interesting.
Sure i could figure out that a root would help of course, but for a newbie like me, all of the descriptions have gaps and require much more knowledge about it, so that there is still a huge risk to screw it up and to maybe not destroy the phone, but to make it not usable until another solution is found.

Since I needed the phone, for receiving calls and SMS, i needed to go the less risky way and in the end - risk was still there ( is the M51w restricted to china and will not handle the firmware of the D5503) I followed the guide on the

"xperiafirmware" page called "Sony XPERIA Z1 Compact D5503 - Android 4.4 - firmware 14.3.A.0.681" ( sorry, cannot post links yet)

I just flashed the Android 4.4 - firmware 14.3.A.0.68 made for the d5503 (according to the guide "1. how to install the newest Android 4.4 for Sony XPERIA Z1 Compact D5503") it worked with out any problems.

One thing that might be misunderstanding is the Flashtool.
After downloading the flash tool its not called "Xperia flash tool", it looks the same as the "androxyde flash tool", and there is a second one which is the " Sony flash tool that is called "Emma" but the flash tool.
So,... just use the one this author linked in his guide, and don't get confused by the names..

Now I have my problems firstly solved. But have to say that, with that some others come...
- Google account sync seems to be not really under my control
- two google accounts even more hard to handle
- and further settings very limited, so that I sometimes even have the feeling i was free with iOS. And the Xiaomi of course let me taste the complete taste of freedom.
- SD card management
- Walkman
- album folders
...

Well , I will figure that out as well.
Hope this post will help somebody!