Google has just released the final beta version of the Android 12 operating system and soon the company will officially release the stable version of the same. While the Android 12 stable version is yet to be rolled out, details about its successor have surfaced online.
It is being reported that the next version update for Android will be a minor update — Android 12.1. Further, the report adds that this new update should be rolled out pretty soon to the Pixel 6 series phones, once they get launched.
This is an interesting development given that Google has stopped releasing minor version updates for the Android operating system which are called point updates. The last point update was Android 8.1 Oreo and since then, there haven’t been point updates from Google for the Android operating system.
Developers are being advised by Google to update their apps to target API level 31, which is the framework API that Android 12 delivers. The API level for Android 11 is 30 while its processor was 29. So, it’s being bumped with every Android version update.
Now, folks at XDA-Developers spotted evidence within AOSP Gerrit that suggests API level 32 corresponding to Android 12 “sc-v2” and not Android 13 “T.” In a new code change, a Googler changes the API level that a new NDK API will be first made available from 32 to 33. The reason could be because “there are currently no planned NDK APIs in sc-v2-dev.”
It looks like Google will be releasing an interim update between Android 12 and Android 13, with a change in the user-visible version number, resulting in the Android 12.1 point release. There’s also a possibility that the new API level won’t be accompanied by a new version number and could be targeted at another form factor.
Android 12 update comes with a major visual overhaul but it appears that Google’s own Pixel phones will be the ones to experience the full redesign. One of the highlights is support for a theming system, a redesigned lock screen, and quick settings menu, along with a new widget system, new animations, new privacy settings, and more.
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