An early foretaste of this year’s major update
Just in time to meet Google’s schedule, Android 13 Beta 1 finally landed on Pixel phones this week. It’s packed with improvements and upgrades to the excellent foundation that Google laid with Android 12 last year, and while it may not make it as exciting as a complete redesign, it’s still a good chance to see the future of your smartphone.
Material You get even better with sixteen different color palettes to choose from – up from just four in last year’s release. It makes you feel a little more in control of dynamic themes, and when paired with third-party icon support, it’s clear that Google is tackling most of our Complaints about Material you. Android also has a brand new media player on your lock screen and in the notification tray, complete with a twisted playback line that truly embraces a new sense of fun. Hopefully it will continue with the full release.
A few new tools also promise to make the use of your phone in the real world much more useful. Android gives you access to your smart home gadgets without having to unlock your phone – something you could do back on Android 11. Meanwhile, a built-in QR code scanner, available from Quick Settings, saves you from having to open the camera. It’s perfect for all the virtual restaurant menus available at your table these days. We’ll learn a lot more about Android 13 from Google I / O in a few weeks, but right now things have started well.
Android 13 has been available in developer previews since February, but this update is the first time it’s easy to install. Just sign up for a compatible device in the beta program and you will receive an OTA update in minutes. This year’s beta seems surprisingly stable, which means it might even be good enough for a daily driver. So have you installed this week’s beta, or are you waiting for a future update?
Did you install Android 13 Beta 1?
Yes, I’m running Android 13 Beta 1.
32%, 115 votes
I’m waiting for a future beta before updating.
13%, 46 votes
I have not decided if I want to install it or not yet.
7%, 24 votes
No, I’m not interested in being a beta tester.
27%, 99 votes
No, none of my devices are supported yet.
19%, 68 votes
No, for another reason I will mention in the comments.
1%, 5 votes
I tried and uninstalled it / rolled it back.
1%, 5 votes
Total number of votes: 362
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