14 DAY TRIAL // Google has announced that Android 12L, an operating system that was designed with tablets in mind, will go live later this year on products from several companies, including Microsoft.
Android 12L is obviously optimized for larger displays, and Google explains that it built the operating system specifically to take full advantage of the increased screen estate.
In other words, Android 12L is still Android but with a substantially improved UI that makes more sense on tablets.
“The bigger the screen, the more space there is for relevant information. With 12L, we’re optimizing the display for the home screen, lock screen, notification shade, device set-up screens, settings and beyond, so they look even better on tablet and foldable screens,” the company explains.
“For example, we heard from you that the most common reason for swiping down to your notification shade is to check and clear your notifications. On 12L, we moved notifications and quick tiles to their own dedicated columns to give you more space to view and swipe away your notifications.”
Launching later this year
Android 12L also comes with a taskbar, which in many ways makes the operating system feel more like ChromeOS. The taskbar makes it possible for users to jump from one app to another much easier, all with a single tap on one of the pinned icons.
“We’ve added a taskbar to help multitaskers launch and switch between apps on the spot. You can also drag-and-drop any app from the taskbar to enter split-screen mode so you can do two things at once. You can watch a YouTube video while you scan the news, or search for accommodations for an upcoming trip in a Chrome browser while you view its location in Google Maps,” Google explains.
Google says Android 12L will be installed on several devices from Samsung, Lenovo, and even Microsoft.