There are over a quarter billion large screen devices running Android across tablets, foldables, and ChromeOS devices. In just the last 12 months we’ve seen nearly 100 million new Android tablet activations–a 20% year-over-year growth, while ChromeOS, now the fastest growing desktop platform, grew by 92%. We’ve also seen Foldable devices on the rise, with year on year growth of over 265%! All told, there are over 250 million active large screen devices running Android. With all of the momentum, we’re continuing to invest in making Android an even better OS on these devices, for users and developers.
So today at Android Dev Summit, we announced a feature drop for Android 12 that is purpose-built for large screens, we’re calling it 12L, along with new APIs, tools, and guidance to make it easier to build for large screens. We also talked about changes we’re making to Google Play to help users discover your large-screen optimized apps more easily. Read on to see what’s new for large screens on Android!
Android 12 isn’t even really in anyone’s hands, and we’ve got the next release waiting around the corner already. The improvements coming in 12L seem quite welcome, since Android and tablets haven’t exactly been a match made in heaven, something made all the more obvious when you run Android applications on Chromebooks. I hope developers will tap into these new APIs and tools, but as with every Google promise for Android, seeing is believing.
Off-topic. Why are you doing this?
I think they are a prototype chatbot, and this site is their sandbox.
As good an explanation as any for HollyB.
Then we should really stop replying to it so the AI training stops. “4G API” certainly doesn’t deserve a response anyway.
So none of you knew that Google didn’t provide a standard mandatory 4G API and driver support requirement in Android (and probably still don’t) which likely explains your abuse and trolling,
Wait, Android tablets are back in vogue? I assumed Google stopped caring about tablets around the Lollipop era. You know, when Material Design apps would “scale” to a tablet screen by taking the existing smartphone UI and pillarboxing with whitespace (no dual-pane design whatsoever), Now Google are back into caring about tablets?
My guess is that they think the Galaxy Fold will become a thing. Never mind that the thing is butt-ugly or that foldable screens have multiple unsolved (and probably unsolveable) engineering issues like crease formation and subpar scratch resistance. Or that the Galaxy Fold design is the worst way to use a foldable screen (compared to flip phones).
Meanwhile, wearOS is rotting away due to lack of developer attention and Apple Watch is becoming a major competitive advantage for the iPhone on the high-end. Android (somehow) managed to position itself as a high-end option despite the lack of default rich-text messaging for years, let’s see if it will continue being a high-end option despite the lack of a decent smartwatch companion.
But… Galaxy Fold!
Someone please bring Eric Schmidt back as CEO.
It’s fair to say smartwatches selling nearly 200 million units last year and generating multi-billion dollar returns is no small thing. However, that greatly pales in comparison to the cell phone market, where Android completely dominates. Android’s high-end’ness may be sweetened by having a smartwatch companion but in absolutely no way does it hinge on it. Unless there’s a vast increase in smartwatch users, there’s no reason to even question it.
There is a vast increase in smartwatch users with the new fitness and NFC payment functionality. Yes, these things finally have a usage. Not a necessary one, but high-end phones aren’t necessary either.
A vast increase in smartwatch users in comparison to cellphone users, not just a big increase comparatively to itself. If smartwatches vanished today, Android would still completely dominate, period. Android’s success in the high-end was not built on smartwatch companions, and it’s continued success doesn’t depend on them. Regardless of a rise in smartwatch popularity, by comparison they’re still a small pebble making a small splash in a big lake. It would take years of massive growth for your skepticism to make sense. I definitely wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the day when Android’s fate rests on smartwatches.
@kurkosdr
Off-topic. Why are you doing this?
Is that the best you can do?
Outside of the US, most tablets run Android.
Samsung, Lenovo, etc sell a few units.
Ugh…. As someone who has worked on android apps, supporting tablets is a pain. People don’t upgrade them with the same frequency as phones this goes for consumers and larger business usage, so they get stuck on older versions because of course the oems don’t care about upgrading them. Supporting them usually means holding back on using modern android apis and making devs/qa life miserable. My advice for anyone who needs a tablet and doesn’t care about the Evils of Apple is to get an ipad. Cheaper in the long run for everyone.
Bill Shooter of Bul,
I think ipads are very pricey compared to something like a chromebook. For schools and low income families spending more on technology usually means making sacrifices elsewhere. It doesn’t always make sense to pay a premium on hardware when so much has transitioned to the web anyways.
I agree with you on the lack of upgrades though. It’s not a technological problem so much as it is a corporate one. Computers that are 10-15 years old can still manage to run modern OS & software, largely because consumers were never dependent on their manufacturers to provide software updates. Contrast this with mobiles and we’re lucky we they can get the next version of android on relatively new hardware. This state of affairs came about because hardware and software came to be bundled with the same manufacturer responsible for both the hardware and software. This is one of the worst outcomes to come from mobile technology. It has dis-incentivized support and enabled planned obsolescence. Unfortunately this norm is probably going to stick because the companies building the phones benefit from shorter hardware upgrade cycles. They don’t want to make it practical to keep phones & tablets longer, which updates do.
Embrace portability. You just need a “write once” portability layer. If someone does this and publishes it you could support Android all the way back to Moses. Also don’t embrace features just because. That way you’re locking yourself prematurely into platform versions and creating work for yourself. Also make sure you abstract properly and be aware some functionality may be duplicated or a wrapper over stuff which is line for line compatible with older API.
Yeah, that’s expensive as hell though. You have to be able to hire people to work on the app the more custom framework you write the longer it takes for even an experienced new hire to get up to speed. Doing the new right way to do things that is widely understood and supported is easier and cheaper to develop and test than supporting all of the work arounds to support previous versions.
Pixel 4 XL owner here. Android 12 is in my hands, and everyone else who has a Pixel device from the last few years. Just sayin’
Moochman,
Yeah, but google have their own issues. Their business model encourages them to aggressively track users, sometimes without permission…
https://apnews.com/article/north-america-science-technology-business-ap-top-news-828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb
But even regarding features themselves, they’ve actually made stock android worse in order to upsell chromecast. I learned of this when I needed to help some family members use HDMI from their phone. Turns out google had it’s engineers patch the linux kernel to remove support for usbc-HDMI cables, last working in pixel 2. Some brands, like oneplus have removed google’s patch to maintain HDMI support (and it works great), but other phones have lost the ability to do HDMI…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/dpwaty/pixel_4_supports_display_out_through_usb_c_bu
It just sucks when leading tech companies start thinking of ways to make products worse because customer needs are secondary for them. It’s not the first time google intentionally disabled features have caused me grief. I know it’s a lost cause given the harsh realities of proprietary mobile devices, but how I wish it were a whole lot easier to bring-your-own-OS on all mobile devices without having to fight with technology every step of the way.
What is a “4G API”?
Can you describe what functions it would provide and how it would keep your phone working when GSM and UMTS/HSPA+ networks are taken offline?
I’m genuinely interested.
@Zayn
I have said everything which needed to be said over more than one topic and if you or anyone else were not paying attention at the time that is your problem. If you’re not going to read them you can make an effort to comprehend the first post in this thread or do your own research.
Fin.