Google is rolling out Android 12.1 (formerly Android 12L) to all Pixel phones, in the absence of compatible tablet hardware. Later this year, Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft are planning new devices that support Android 12.1.
Have you seen Android 12L in the news recently? The codename is now concretely marketed as Android 12.1 and is available on Google Pixel phones starting today (Pixel 6 only later this month).
Since the latest Android version focuses on better functionality for foldable phones and tablets, Pixel owners will notice little to nothing from the new update. Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft have already revealed that they are working on hardware for Android 12.1. The first devices should hit the market later this year.
The main improvement for tablets is a completely new UI that takes advantage of the extra screen space. You can conveniently open two applications side by side, and settings and notifications appear side by side on the screen. Those who dive deeper into the settings conveniently get a menu bar on the left and all the information on the right.
Chicken or egg
Google has big plans for the tablet market with Android 12.1 to boot, but it’s not just the operating system that needs an update. Android has no dedicated tablet apps, unlike the Apple iPad. Result: almost every app looks like a bloated version of the phone app.
The search giant does not appear to be adopting that segmentation of tablet and phone apps with Android 12.1, but it hopes with the push toward a better OS for foldable phones and tablets that developers will automatically follow. An obvious chicken-and-egg problem that may soon be solved.
Meanwhile, Google continues to work enthusiastically on Android 13, with the first developer preview now available to test applications. Over the next few months, the operating system should become systematically more stable with presumably a final release after the summer.