Google Releases Android 12L with Improved Tablet Features

Android tablets have existed in some form for as long as Android itself has existed, but Google has spent large swaths of time pretending they don’t. After ignoring tablets for the last few years, Google cares again. Today, it has announced the launch of Android 12L, a mid-stream update to Android 12 that includes numerous enhancements for tablets and large screen devices. It’ll hit Pixel devices soon, but the most important features won’t be evident until it arrives on tablets and foldables, which there are none of in the Pixel family.

Google first acknowledged Android tablets in 2011 with the Motorola Xoom. It also designed a new version of Android for this purpose, known as Honeycomb for tablets back then. It remerged with the mainline Android in version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, Google seemed more interested in smaller tablets that are scarcely larger than today’s smartphones, and it adjusted the tablet UI to be more phone-like and less capable on larger screens. Apple went in the opposite direction, and the iPad currently dominates the market.

Google said it was done making tablets after the Pixel Slate crashed and burned, but there’s been more interest in Android slates and large-format foldables in the last few release cycles. While Google doesn’t have any tablets of its own, it has worked closely with Samsung on features for foldables. Now, it’s got a refined version of Android that all OEMs can use on tablets, and some of these features will sound familiar.

The notification shade and quick settings can now share the screen, making much better use of the available space. The settings UI is also dual-pane, an experience Samsung implemented on its own for tablets. Most of the important changes relate to app and window management. Android 12L has a new taskbar UI that makes it easier to multitask and use split-screen apps. For example, you can have a video playing in one pane while you use a browser or messaging app in the other.

Even though most of the changes are for tablets, Android 12L is coming to phones as well. The latest update for Pixel phones is rolling out today, and it’s based on Android 12L. The so-called Feature Drop adds better Live Captions and Live Translations, as well as a slick new battery widget. We won’t really see what 12L can do until it arrives on a device with a larger screen. Google says it is working with Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft to roll out Android 12L later this year. We just don’t know how much later. These features will also be expanding in the more distant Android 13 release.

Continue reading

Cyberpunked 2077: CDPR ‘Apologizes’ For Releasing Broken Game, Offers Refunds

Cyberpunk 2077's PS4 and Xbox One S version is so bad, the company is now offering refunds. We recommend last-gen console gamers take them up on it, rather than waiting.

Unreleased Nintendo Game Boy Keyboard Brought Back to Life

Gaming history YouTuber Liam Robertson has gotten his hands on a Work Boy — possibly the last one in the world, and it's working thanks to that giant Nintendo data leak from a few months back.

Google Releases First Android 12 Developer Preview

The first developer preview is available today, and you can take a peek at the new OS if you've got a recent Pixel phone. Be warned: this is a very early build that you should not use on your main phone.

NASA Releases Incredible Perseverance Rover Landing Video

NASA's Perseverance rover has been on the surface of Mars for several days, giving the team here on Earth time to run system checks and download preliminary data from the robot. The agency has now released the first large batch of media from the mission, including hundreds of still images and the first video and audio ever recorded on Mars.