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Android 12: Scrolling screenshots, a Game Mode and a one-handed mode will be just some of the highlights of Google's next OS

Android 12 may feature a new UI, but Google is also bringing many features from other OEMs into its OS. (Image source: XDA Developers)
Android 12 may feature a new UI, but Google is also bringing many features from other OEMs into its OS. (Image source: XDA Developers)
It looks like Google has borrowed heavily from the likes of Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi and even Sony with some of the features that it has integrated into Android 12. From scrolling screenshots to a Game Mode and a one-handed mode, Android 12 may feel familiar in some respects to those who have used EMUI, One UI or MIUI in the last few years.
Android Smartphone Software

The first Android 12 Beta may be months away, but XDA Developers has published countless details about Google's next OS. Last week, the website leaked parts of Android 12's UI, which includes revised widgets, a revamped notification shade and a tweaked status bar, among other changes. According to subsequent articles, Google has made many other changes as of Android 12, such as: 

  • Advanced theme support
  • Android Runtime (ART) as Mainline Module - Updates via the Play Store
  • Anti-tracking features and privacy enhancements
  • Better integration with third-party app stores
  • Game controller rumble support
  • Hibernating app support
  • Outsourced emoji support for delivering updates outside of OTAs
  • Scrolling screenshots
  • Smart rotation lock
  • Split-screen app pairs for simple multitasking with two commonly used apps
  • Ultra-Wideband API
  • Wi-Fi password sharing with Nearby Share
  • WireGuard VPN support with Linux Kernel 4.19 and 5.4

It is worth noting that not all those features are new to Android. OEM versions of Android like One UI and MIUI already support scrolling screenshots and Wi-Fi password sharing, for example. Additionally, XDA Developers states that Google plans to integrate a Game Mode, a feature that even near-stock Android experiences like Sony's Xperia line have. Similarly, Android 12 may integrate a one-handed mode, which Samsung introduced to its smartphones in 2012. Moreover, Huawei submitted a one-handed mode to AOSP in 2017, but Google rejected it.

So, it seems that Google is planning to bring at least four features to Android 12 that are already present in many OEMs versions of Android. XDA Developers predicts that the first Android 12 Beta should arrive in late Q2 2021, with stable releases for Pixel smartphones to follow in late Q3 2021.

(Image source: XDA Developers)

Source(s)

XDA Developers (1) (2) (3) (4)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 02 > Android 12: Scrolling screenshots, a Game Mode and a one-handed mode will be just some of the highlights of Google's next OS
Alex Alderson, 2021-02-17 (Update: 2021-02-17)