We’re already speculating what the next version of Android will offer after the introduction of Android 12 in 2021, followed by the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Since its inception in 2008, Android has always included a major feature with each major update. However, with Android 13, codenamed Tiramisu, Google may have a wonderful opportunity to fine-tune what is currently present in millions of Android handsets around the world.
We scoured our Pixel, OnePlus, and other Android phones for five improvements we’d like to see in Android 13 later this year, no matter how huge or tiny.
But first, we’ll go over when we expect it to be available and which Android phones will most likely be supported. We’ll also take a look at the features we already know about, as the first developer preview, along with a few Android 13 features, is now available.
Rumors about the release date of Android 13
A new Android version is normally released in February for developers, and the first developer preview of Android 13 is already available, having been released on February 10.
This early release gives developers a sense of what will be available in the fall of that year, letting them plan ahead of time for future releases of their programs.
Google has also released a roadmap for Android 13, which you can see above. Based on this, the first true beta might arrive in April, followed by a stable release in June, most likely to coincide with Google I/O, and a shipment date in September. Though October is also a possibility, given that is when Android 12 was released.
Phones that support Android 13
Android has a reputation for making it difficult to update your phone to the most recent version. Part of this is because of how different manufacturers have developed Android to complement a brand, such as Samsung.
However, because Google releases a new Pixel phone every year, these normally come with the most recent Android version. To begin with, it would not be surprising to see a Pixel 7 or Pixel Fold come with Android 13 in October.
Other manufacturers often follow after a few months of testing and putting their twist on the new Android release, but not until the first half of the following year.
Features of Android 13
Although we don’t know much about Android 13, the initial developer preview has highlighted certain features.
For example, Google’s dynamic theming (which changes the color of icons to match your wallpaper) will now be compatible with third-party app icons. For the time being, this is only a Pixel feature, but with Google pushing other manufacturers to enable dynamic theming, it should eventually help most phones.
This edition is also heavily focused on privacy, with the addition of a photo picker function that allows you to share media such as images with apps without giving them access to your whole media collection.
Similarly, a new ‘Nearby device permission for Wi-Fi’ will enable apps to discover and connect to nearby Wi-Fi devices without the requirement for location rights.
Furthermore, with Android 13, users will be able to select the default language per app. You could, for example, set one app to English and another to Spanish.
What we hope to see
Because Android 13 is still a few months away, we’ve compiled a list of enhancements we’d want to see from the next-generation platform.
UI Improvements
While Material You presents a new design for Android, it is not without flaws. When a feature is enabled, some buttons cause confusion for users. For example, if you go to the Notification Center and select ‘Internet,’ you must touch this button again to toggle Mobile Data, Wi-Fi, and Hotspot. It’s confusing, and there’s no way to make these three alternatives independent toggles.
In addition, the colors in Android 12 lack contrast, making everything appear pale in comparison to the vibrancy displayed by iOS. However, according to Android Police, it appears that Google is already aware of this, as new brilliant colors for Android 13 have allegedly leaked.
Giving vivid colors over the user interface could improve Android’s overall appeal. The Material You design we’re seeing now, on the other hand, is effectively version 1.0 of a new appearance for the operating system. Since iOS has been refining its flat design since 2013, we should expect visual advancements on Android for many years to come.
Scrolling screenshots for all apps, not just a few
This function was added in Android 12 for specific apps, where you could snap a screenshot of a web page, but Android would stitch the material into a single image.
While this is a valuable feature, it requires developers to include a ‘View-based UI’ in the app; otherwise, users will be unable to browse through screenshots.
Instead, Android 13 should make this available to all apps regardless of the present need. Users should not have to check whether specific Android capabilities, such as scrolling screenshots, are also available in particular apps.
Extend the backtap gesture.
This was initially seen in a beta version of Android 11 in 2020, before being removed when the final release for the Pixel 4 series and other smartphones arrived.
A variant is currently available on Apple’s iOS 15, in which you may personalize a back-tap gesture on your iPhone, for example, to activate the Camera app or a shortcut.
It’s especially beneficial when you’re browsing another app and want to fast switch to the camera app without going back to the home screen and searching for its icon.
Backtap might be an easy win for Android users, especially since the software can be more easily tweaked than iOS. Consider an Android 13 backtap in which you can open specific apps or media with a set number of taps, or where the end result varies depending on the app you’re presently using.
Transfer from iOS
According to Android Police, this capability may already be included in Android 13, mimicking a feature that allows you to transfer what you’re listening to on your iPhone to a HomePod speaker, for example.
You can send the media you’re watching or listening to a device in your home or business using a feature called ‘TTT,’ or Tap to Transfer.
With a slew of Android-powered televisions and smart speakers on the market, this might be a viable option for sending media from your smartphone in a more convenient manner.
Repair the ‘Open by Default’ feature.
Before Android 12, when you open a file, a dialog box would show asking if you wanted to open it in an app just once or every time.
It was only a message box, but it served a purpose. However, in Android 12, an ‘Open with Default’ option appears instead, removing the option to use an app only once.
Users have been irritated by this change because it forces you to delve deep into the Settings app to make the filetype forget to open in a specific app. Let’s go back to the old way of doing Android 13. All we ask is that.
