Puzzling out the Android 12L

Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. © Samsung.

Hot upon Android 12’s release, Google unexpectedly announced an Android 12L Developer Preview. This brand-new operating system is a variation on Android 12 specifically intended for tablets by adding features such as a dock to quickly switch between applications and a split-screen mode that lets you see two active applications side by side. However, no device can yet run this Developer Preview; it only works in a dedicated emulator.

Android 12L marks Google’s second attempt to launch an Android ecosystem for tablets; the first was the 2011 release of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, an operating system that failed to take off mainly due to the lack of tablet-specific applications. Given that Google has not made an Android tablet in six years since the Pixel C released in late 2015, the potential interest for an Android 12L is a question mark. Can Android 12L get the attention of Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, et al., and revitalize the anemic Android tablet market? Time will tell. We believe that the OS will be of use primarily for foldable devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold. Does Google have a foldable Pixel project in the cards? Also, will developers make an effort to adapt their applications? Nothing could be less certain. For now, Android 12L raises many more questions than it answers.

⇨ Ars Technica, Ron Amadeo, “Android 12 is so last week: Meet Android 12L, now in developer preview.”

2021-10-27