Android 12L beta for tablets and foldables goes live, developers prepping for its early 2022 release

Google’s Android 12L beta has been released following its surprise announcement in late October. The new Android 12 variant has been specially designed to take greater advantage of large screen devices like tablets, Chromebooks and foldables. It signals a refreshed intent by Google to help its OEMs better tackle the advantage that Apple enjoys with its tablet-friendly iPadOS.

For developers and early adopters interested in trying out the beta, Google has partnered with Lenovo to run the Android 12L beta on its Lenovo P12 Pro tablet. As Lenovo explains, Android 12L features new APIs for app developers to provide a better app usage experience in landscape mode along with easier multitasking and refined system UI optimization. 

Interestingly, Google has also made the Android 12L beta available to developers via its Pixel smartphones, even though the operating system isn’t targeted at those devices. It would seem that Google is acknowledging here, indirectly, that there aren’t really many worthwhile Android devices out there at the moment (save for Samsung’s offerings). It is also giving developers an Android Emulator with tablet mode to test out their apps on a larger screen in addition to the other options.

Android 12L is expected to be released in full in ‘early 2022’ according to Google. Unfortunately, however, we won’t be seeing it on the previously rumored Google Pixel Fold. Google is said to have shelved plans for the device for the time being, although there is a good chance we can thank its development for the emergence of this long-awaited Android variant.