Google revealed a version of its current Android operating system designed specifically for tablets and foldable smartphones, as it targeted continued upgrades to improve the usability of devices with larger screens.
In a corporate blog, Google noted the Android 12L software included optimisations to devices’ home and lock screens, and settings to improve the appearance of these features on tablets and foldables.
Detailing the differences between this and its standard Android 12, which is gradually being pushed out to compatible smartphones, it pointed to a number changes designed to ease multitasking and make displays more visually attractive.
Among its key features are changes to where notifications appear, with these being shifted to dedicated columns to provide more space to view and dismiss them, and a taskbar to aid multitasking.
The company plans to push Andriod 12L to selected Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft devices starting “later this year”.
It detailed plans to “continue to build more features and functionalities to help you make the most of your larger screen devices in Android 13 and beyond”.
