Android 12 hasn’t even reached many phones yet, but Google is already offering Android 13 Developer Preview for testing. This is only the first version, with very few of the planned features implemented, while the stability of the software is not guaranteed. On this occasion, however, we find out a few things about what Google is preparing for the launch of Android 13, but also what dessert Google has chosen for the code name of the new version.
Even though Google has given up marketing with cake names, the company has continued to give such internal names to new versions of Android. Thus, Android 13 is known within the company as Tiramisu. In fact, compared to previous years, the company no longer hides this name of dessert, but mentions it directly in the software.
Currently, the software can only be installed on Pixel devices. As the Pixel 3 and 3 XL received their latest security update this month, they will not be included in the test period. However, all other newer models, starting with Pixel 4, will be able to install the new software without any problems.
The news brought by Android 13 is not major, but during the development, the software will keep receiving new capabilities. This is only the first version, which currently brings some new capabilities in terms of data privacy, but most of the new capabilities are made for application developers.
List of phones compatible with Android 13 Developer Preview
- Pixel 4
- Pixel 4 XL
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4 5G
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 5a
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
First, you’ll be able to choose photos that certain applications can access when you give them access to your photo gallery. In the past, you gave access to the entire photo collection, or blocked access. Now you can choose individual photos for this. However, it seems that this feature will not be limited to devices with Android 13, but will also come on older versions, such as Android 12 and 11, through an update of Google Play Services. A similar feature has been available on iOS for several years.
Applications will be able to provide individual language settings without being limited to the language set in the phone menu. Application developers will be able to implement this capability through an API. You’ll also be able to add new quick settings to the quick menu at the top of the interface without leaving the app you’re in, and now apps will have access to the ability to add more advanced graphics directly integrated into Android without use 3D graphics libraries in a graphics engine.
Probably the most obvious change that users can see directly is the ability to customize the icons of other applications through the Material You interface. Developers in Android 13 will have the option to offer a black and white version of the main icon, which can then be adapted via Material You to the color palette of the wallpaper chosen for the screen.
Ideally, you should not install Android 13 Developer Preview 1 on your personal phone, but on a test device, if you have one available, as its stability will not be guaranteed. Also, those who want to try Android 13 have the option to run it under an emulator. Google says that the software has several modes of operation: phone, tablet and foldable, of which only the first can be tested on Pixel. The others are currently only running in the virtual machine, as there are no compatible physical devices yet.
Android 13 is expected to launch this fall.
source: Notebookcheck