Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Government
- The very first Android 12 developer preview is now available. You can install it on certain Google Pixel smartphones.
- This first preview is mostly for developers and is far too unstable to use as a daily manager.
- Google says the focus this year is on making Android “more intuitive, better performing and more secure.”
Today is the big day: our first official look at Android 12! The debut developer preview of the 2021 version of the world’s largest operating system is now available.
The Android 12 developer preview will work on all Google Pixel smartphones from the Pixel 3 series forward. This means that the Pixel 3/3 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL, Pixel 4/4 XL, Pixel 4a / 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Earlier Pixel phones and phones from other OEMs are not compatible, but you can always the Android uses Emulator within Android Studio if you want.
Related: All the Android 12 features we know so far
As usual, this first DP is not intended for consumer use. Therefore, you can only install it manually. You can flash a factory image if you are good at deleting your data and unlocking your boot loader. If not, you can sideload an OTA that does not require an unlocked bootloader or data wipe. Either way, you get OTAs for future preview launches as well as the inevitable beta releases.
However, you must understand that this version of Android 12 must be considered completely unstable. It is not suitable to use it as your daily driver as it will cause all kinds of problems! As such, it is for developers and thinkers only.
Android 12 developer preview: this is just a test
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Government
Since we are so early in the development of Android 12, this first preview for developers will not contain many new features that the consumer is facing. Instead, most features will be developer-oriented. As always, developers will find tips on consumer features within this code, so keep an eye out for rumors.
Google has announced what it wants to achieve with Android 12 as a whole. It says that this version of Android will be ‘more intuitive, better performing and safer’ than other versions. Last year, Google’s biggest focus was on communications: notifications, messaging features, and more. The preview for Android 12 developers will therefore have different priorities.
With that in mind, many of the confirmed features in Android 12 so far are all very technical. Google says Android 12 allows for faster and higher quality image encoding, enabling better photos with smaller file sizes. Notifications will also be faster with more tools for developers to customize. It will also be easier for developers to discover compatibility issues so that they can make their programs work faster.
However, there are some confirmed features that consumers will appreciate. One is audio paired with a haptic, which enables the vibrating motor of a phone to sync with app audio, creating more immersive gaming experiences. Gesture navigation, while your phone’s screen is completely covered with media (such as when watching a movie), will be easier and more consistent.
Stay tuned, as we’ll probably be discovering some cool features over the next few days as we play with the Android 12 developer preview!
Related: Android versions: The history of the largest mobile operating system
When will everyone get Android 12?
Google says its goal is to achieve platform stability by August 2021. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google launched the stable version of Android 11 on September 8th. although highly unlikely, it will land earlier than August.
Meanwhile, the first beta for Android 11 was launched on June 10, 2020. It is not unreasonable to expect a beta for Android 12 to land around the same time this year.
The bottom line is that the preview for Android 12 developers is just the beginning. We still have many months before general consumers will use it!