After much anticipation, a stable version of Google’s new Android operating system Android 12 (Android 12) was launched at the end of last October with Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. This Android 12 update is not yet available on most smartphones. But tech giant Google has always been progressive, always thinking of going one step further. And to that end, to everyone’s surprise, the company launched the first developer preview of the next version of the Android software, Android 13 (Android 13). In fact, it is just a preview of the upcoming operating system, meaning that many of its features still need to be removed from the screen. However, Google has confirmed that the key features of Android 13 are highlighted in this preview.
First developer preview of Android 13 publicly
Google’s Android 13 will have an upgraded theming option, more advanced privacy features and language control, and the app’s granular permissions feature. Many of its features are still hidden, but it is said that the updated company has focused more on the interface. Android 12 was originally related to the ‘Material You’ theme in the operating system, but on Android 13 Google has worked to take customization to the next level. In this case dynamic app icons will now be available for all applications. There will also be a feature called Theme Icon that will allow app icons to adapt to a color related to the wallpaper, but also support for monochromatic app icons.
Meanwhile, Google has been keeping a close eye on user privacy, so the company is removing a page from Apple’s playbook by focusing on privacy in Android 13 as well. On Android 13, users will be able to set the level of permissions they want to give them access to gallery applications. A new photo picker will allow the app to access the entire gallery or just a few selected photos – users can choose for themselves during the process. Note that Google does not want to limit this feature to Android 13 only, but will gradually bring this feature to all phones powered by Android 11 and later.
Google has also highlighted some of the under-the-hood changes that come with Android 13. For instance, a new feature has been added to Wi-Fi permissions and will enable apps to find and connect to Wi-Fi points without the need to determine the location of the phone. In the case of language preferences, some new features are going to be added in the next version of Android. Users will now be able to set different languages for each application. For example, if an app runs in English, users will be able to run another app in Hindi at the same time. In addition to this, Google has a proper plan for the delivery of new OS updates. In addition, the company continues to invest in Project Mainline, which focuses on the delivery of updates through Google Play, not through OS updates.
In this context, the first developer preview of Android 13 was created for developers and testers only. It is available for Pixel 4, Pixel 5, and Pixel 6 devices. So there is no need for regular users to install it. Google, on the other hand, plans to release more developer previews in February and March, but a beta version of the software may arrive by April. All in all, the stable version of Android 13 is likely to be released in June or July, but the official release will be held later this year.
