For now, Android 12.1 is only available on phones; it was formerly known as Android 11.2L.
The Pixel-only version of Android 12.1 (formerly known as Android 12L) is now available to all users. The tablet-specific improvements that characterise this version will be out of commission for some time, which is a bummer.
According to Google’s The Keyword blog and 9to5Google, Android 12 will be arriving to Pixel phones starting with the Pixel 5a and continuing all the way back to the Pixel 3a. Although the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will get their own 12.1 upgrade in March, the 12.1 update for the Pixel 6 is not yet available for the Google Pixel 6.
There are no plans to release the 12L/12.1 upgrade for the Android tablet platform this year, but Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft’s tablets are expected to get it at some point in the future. When you consider that Android 12L was in beta from October 2020, developers had lots of time to explore, it’s an unusually lengthy delay.
This is a pity, since the majority of Android 4.0’s intriguing features are geared at tablets. There is a taskbar for your favourite programmes and shortcuts, as well as a native multi-window mode and a new dual-pane style for certain apps and the notification and quick settings shade.
The list of updates for smartphones is far shorter and less intriguing. Long-pressing your home screen on the Pixel 6 will allow you to change wallpapers more quickly and you can now modify the clock size on the lock screen, but these features won’t fundamentally alter how you use your phone, unlike the tablet updates.
Android 13 will be unveiled in full at Google I/O (possibly in May) and will begin rolling out to phones in the autumn of this year. Android 13 is scheduled to be released to the public. This latest version of Android is likely to contain improvements such as an adjustable flashlight, easier media hand-off, and a redesigned media output option menu design.