Android 12L is Released: First it Will Be Launched on Samsung

Google today launched the official version of Android 12.1 (12L) for Pixel devices. In addition to the quarterly Feature Drop, it also introduced the March security patch for Pixel 3a to Pixel 6 Pro. Fixed 80 issues.

New layout for easier viewing

The larger the screen, the more space there is to display information. For the Android 12L, Google has worked hard to optimize the home screen, lock screen, notification shade, screen settings, settings, etc., so they will look better on tablets and foldable phones.

For example, the most common reason you usually swipe down to the notification shade is to check and clear notifications. But on the Android 12L, Google moved notifications and tiles to their own dedicated list to give users more room to view and swipe through notifications.

Notification shade on tablet displays notifications in the dedicated right sidebar

When setting up a new device, you can now also view more information in a two-column layout. And you don’t have to go in and out of every section to change the features in Settings. Assuming you want to change the wallpaper on your device, you can choose “Wallpapers and Styles” directly from the navigation panel, and then select it on the side, which is convenient and fast for single-screen operation.

Taskbar for more tasks

The taskbar is now updated to help multitaskers quickly launch and switch apps. You can also drag and drop any app from the taskbar to enter split-screen mode, such as watching a video while browsing the news.

Andrei Popescu, Google’s vice president of Android engineering, also said that Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft will be the first to launch the Android 12L system, and the official version is expected to arrive later this year. The new system aims to Better optimization for tablets and foldable.

Lenovo already has a number of tablets running the Android 12 L beta, so the first Android 12L launch isn’t a surprise, but it’s unclear which devices from the other two companies will get the update. Microsoft’s Surface Duo/2, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablet, or Z Fold series of phones may get the update.

Android 12L will bring a variety of new features that can help you make better use of large-screen devices, such as a new notification color block, which can quickly separate notifications into separate parts or piece them together; there is also a Two-column layout design, taskbar to run apps in parallel, etc.

To put it simply, Android 12L is a new version of Android specially designed for large-screen devices. Only certain tablets and foldable devices have the opportunity to experience it, but future mainstream Android versions will also incorporate its UI improvements.

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“We’ll continue to develop more features and capabilities to help you get the most out of your large-screen devices with Android 13 and above,” Popescu wrote.