Google officially released its Android 12 operating system on October 4, 2021. It’s over 5 months now since the Android OS launched and the vast majority of phones out there are still yet to receive the update. As eligible smartphones await the coming of the new update, the good news is that we’ve heard a couple of things regarding the next Android OS – Android 13.
What is the exact release date of the upcoming Android 13 operating system? Which features should we expect from the OS when it finally comes out? What smartphones are eligible to receive Android 13? These frequently asked questions and more are what the rest of this post will focus on answering.
What is the codename of Android 13?
Before talking about the compatible devices, release date, features of the upcoming Android 13, let’s start by talking about its codename.
Before the release of Android 10, Google named the operating systems sweet names. Publically, these Android OS now go by “number” names but this doesn’t mean they don’t have sweet names too. The Android version 1.5 was the first to receive a sweet name, called ‘Cupcake’. Ever since then, other iterations have been following the same culture.
In case you don’t know, the Android version 1.6 was ‘Donut,’ while the erosion 2.0 was ‘Eclair.’ Android 2.2 was ‘Froyo’, Android 2.3 was ‘Gingerbread’, and Android 3.0 was ‘Honeycomb.’ As for Android 4.0, it was ‘Ice Cream Sandwich.’ Android 4.1’s codename was ‘Jellybean’, while the 4.4 version was ‘Kit Kat.’ Android versions 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 were ‘Lollipop’, ‘Marshmallow’, ‘Nougat’, ‘Oreo’, and ‘Pie,’ respectively.
As earlier mentioned, Android 10 doesn’t have a public sweet name but experts revealed that its unofficial codename is ‘Quince Tart.’ Android 11’s code name is ‘Red Velvet Cake,’ while the Android version 12 is ‘Snow Cone.’
According to the first developer preview of the upcoming Android 13, spotted by XDA developers, the codename of the OS is ‘Tiramisu,’ a coffee-flavored Italian dessert made with ladyfingers and cocoa.
What is the release date of Android 13?
For now, there’s no official statement yet regarding the release date of the upcoming Android version 13. However, based on previous releases, we should be able to make a close prediction of when the stable version of the operating system will be available.
On February 10, 2022, Google released the first developer preview of the Android 13. A month after (March 17), the giant tech company released the second developer preview of the OS. We heard Google will still release more Android 13 developer previews before the end of Spring 2022. Furthermore, we expect Google to start rolling out the beta version of the operating system in May. If Google follows its previous release schedule, we’ll likely see the stable version of Android 13 come to us by Q4 of 2022.
Android 10’s first public beta came out in May 2019; its stable version was available in September of the same year. Google released the first public beta of Android 11 in June 2020 while its stable version launched in September 2020.
The first public beta of Android 12 came out in May 2021 while its stable version launched in October 2021. With that, you can expect the stable version of ‘Tiramisu’ to come in late September or early October 2022.
What new features are available on Android 13m?
As earlier mentioned, Google has been able to release the first and second developer preview of the Android 13. Looking at these updates, we noticed that the new operating system packs a couple of new features. Let’s have a quick look at the new offerings below:
Tap-to-transfer
In 2019, Google replaced the Android Beam feature on its operating systems with Nearby Share. If you’ve forgotten, Android Beam allowed its users to transfer data easily via near-field communication (NFC). It seems Google is looking to reintroduce this tap-to-transfer feature on the new Android 13 OS.
Android Police revealed that the upcoming operating system will offer users the option to start a file transfer between devices using NFC. No doubt, the Nearby Share feature offers a similar solution, the difference is that it doesn’t use near-field communication technology.
Theming option
According to recent reports, the new Android 13 operating system will come with dynamic app icons for all applications, including Google. Interestingly, these themed icons will come with a color tint that fits your wallpaper. The only problem, here, is that app developers need to provide compatible app icons to make this option work out.
For now, the theming icon feature will first be available on Pixel devices. However, reports have it that Google is already working with other manufacturers to make the feature available for other devices.
Photo Picker for Android 13
Another new feature that is available on the new Android 13 OS is Photo Picker. This feature is more of an extension of Android’s existing document picker. According to Google, Photo Picker is a “standard and optimized way for users to share local and cloud-based photos securely.”
Here’s how the photo picker feature will work; instead of accessing your entire gallery, you’ll get the option to select photos that will be visible to your apps.
More control over app notifications
Unlike in the past, Android users now have a couple of options for controlling how and when applications can send alerts on their smartphones. Well, the latest reports by XDA Developers reveal an even better solution is on the way with the Android 13 operating system.
Yes, the OS will come with a notification feature that’ll ask for your permission for newly installed apps. When an app first launches on your phone, you’ll get an alert, requesting for POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission.
Other new features that will come with Android 13 include:
- Support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio
- Language preferences
- MIDI 2.0 support
- Notifications for excessive background battery usage
- New volume picker
Android 13 Compatible devices
For now, we can only share with you the list of Google Pixel and Samsung devices that are sure to receive the Android 13 operating system. Big brands, such as Samsung and OnePlus are already making plans to match Google’s three-year commitment for rolling out Android OS. But for now, we know little about other manufacturers.
Google Pixel devices
Compatible Google Pixel devices for the upcoming Android 13 OS are Google Pixel 4, Google Pixel 4 XL, Google Pixel 4a, Google Pixel 4a (5G), Google Pixel 5, Google Pixel 5a (5G), Google Pixel 6, and Google Pixel 6 Pro.
Samsung devices
Here are some Samsung devices compatible with the upcoming Android 13 operating system. Keep in mind that this is not the official list and some phones might miss out on it.
For the S series, the compatible devices are Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy S22+, Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S21 Ultra (LTE/5G), Galaxy S21+ (LTE/5G), Galaxy S21 (LTE/5G), Galaxy S20 Ultra (LTE/5G), Galaxy S20+ (LTE/5G), Galaxy S20 (LTE/5G), Galaxy S20 FE (LTE/5G), and Galaxy S10 Lite.
As for the Galaxy Note series & Galaxy Z series, the compatible devices are Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (LTE/5G), Galaxy Note 20 (LTE/5G), and Galaxy Note 10 Lite, Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3.
OnePlus devices
For OnePlus devices, some of the compatible devices for Android 13 are OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9A, OnePlus 9AT, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro.
