Android 13 Beta took a brief hiatus after the stable release in August, but Google started pushing Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 again today, and the update is now available for Pixel smartphones.
The update isn’t significant, but shows off some of the new features in the upcoming Pixel phone Feature Drops. Feature Drops are quarterly updates of Pixel smartphones that bring a large number of features to the device. The next update is not expected until December.
Mishaal Rahman, senior technology editor at Esper, dug into the update and found some new content. The update adds a “Security hub,” a unified set of security and privacy Settings. According to Rahman, the feature wasn’t online, but he was able to get it to work, suggesting the feature was ready.
He also noted that the update comes with the October security patch, even though the September patch has only just been rolled out.
Rahman also pointed out some new features related to audio. Spatial Audio and Bluetooth LE Audio appear to be included in the update, although they don’t seem to work reliably at the moment.
There is also a feature called ‘Clear Callin’ that will make calls clearer by reducing background noise. However, the feature has some limitations as it cannot be used with Wi-Fi calls and only works on “most mobile networks”.
The update also reveals the Pixel tablet that Google teased earlier this year. While the company hasn’t provided many details about the device, a new animation found in the beta seems to give us more clues about Google’s tablet plans.
The animation shows a tablet device charging on what appears to be a dock. Also, when placed on the dock, a separate animation shows the Google Assistant logo, suggesting that the Pixel tablet may serve as a rumoured detachable Nest Hub device.
Other changes include additional eSIM support, new animations for split screen mode, Settings to show Pixel battery health, and a return to unified search.
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In addition, developer Kuba Wojciechowski mined the code and found information about possible foldable devices and “higher-end tablets.”