There’s a reason why from tablet synonymous with iPad. Every year, Apple makes small tweaks to the user interface of iPadOS – its tablet operating system – to optimize the experience of using it on the big screen: a two-column view, a bar continuous task and pointer support, not to mention the significant number of first- and third-party apps that use the additional space. You won’t find the same improvements on Google’s Android tablets.
Most Android tablets feel like a new version of a Android smartphoneand Google’s interest in optimizing the experience has waned over the years. There’s Android Honeycomb in 2011, which has resizable widgets; and Android Nougat in 2016 added the ability to split the app screen for easier multitasking. Now, there’s Android 12L and Android 13. Both are currently in beta, but both bring the biggest changes we’ve seen to the interface.
Why now? There are nearly 270 million active large-screen mobile devices running Android. But this change to create a better Android tablet experience is like a response to the huge growth in the computer industry that occurred during the pandemic due to the need for screens to work from. distance and virtual learning. In 2019, manufacturers shipped about 144 million tablets, but this number spikes to 163 million in 2020 and 168 million in 2021, according to IDC.
Tabula Rasa
Android 12L, introduced as a beta by the end of 2021, creating a refreshed interface for large screen devices. On a wider screen, you’ll now see separate columns in the notification drawer; now has a persistent taskbar at the bottom of the screen that lets you quickly open apps in split-screen mode; and apps will automatically adjust to take advantage of more screen space. It is expected to launch this summer on certain devices.
These improvements carry over to Android 13, which is expected to roll out later. The upcoming version adds even more to the tablet, like better stylus support and palm rejection, optimized screensavers and new widgets, plus portability Faster and more efficient configuration changes, making it easy to transfer the tablet to your child’s account when you hand it over to them. Android 13 will also make it easier to open multiple instances of the same app at the same time.
Scott Blanksteen, senior director of Product Management at Google, says the need and use of tablets is growing for both productivity and entertainment, and that’s why Google rushed to create Android 12L instead of waiting to bring this tablet’s improvements to Android 13. This is slightly faster. The follow-up could mean that more devices will implement Android 12L before the end of the year, while Android 13 will likely arrive on most tablets by 2023 due to the nature of companies like Samsung and Lenovo. to roll out Android updates.
Apps are also a major part of this refocusing on tablets. “The app experience has to be great, and that has to start with Google,” says Blanksteen. That’s why the company will be updating more than 20 Google apps with tablet optimization in the coming weeks, from the redesigned YouTube Music app to the more environmentally conscious Google Maps app. spatial.
