After installing the first beta of Android 13, Jack Wallen was impressed with what Google has done with this operating system.
The first beta of Android 13 is now available to the public. I installed it on a Pixel 5 to get an idea of what will happen for the next release of the platform. I know, diving into this, Android 13 is going to feel like a massive flop after the previous iteration has proven significantly different. It’s not like Google is going to pull out another Material You to push the platform even further.
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Instead, I assumed Android 13 would be the smallest step forward for Google’s mobile operating system, and I was not wrong. Much of what’s coming in the latest Android upgrade is focused mainly on the backend, where users won’t see much of a difference. The truth is, the difference between Android 12 and 13 are almost indistinguishable…unless you pay close attention.
Android 13 is a new level of smoothness
The first thing I noticed with Android 13 is that everything seems a little smoother. It might not be as noticeable if you haven’t used the platform for as long as I have, but with Android 13 the animations are very smooth. Everything seems to glide easily across the screen like liquid. There was no stutter, stutter, or skipping when navigating the user interface at any level. For me, that’s a big step forward. I’m running Android 13 on a less supported device (compared to Pixel 6 Pro running Android 12), and 13 looks much more polished than 12 (which is already a huge step up from 11).
That should bode well for anyone looking to see an improvement in Android’s imaging department.
Dive into testing Android 13
In addition to the initial fascination with the smoothness of the user interface, the next thing I noticed was the addition of a quick tile QR code reader (Picture A).
Picture A
You no longer have to go through the Assistant or install a third-party app to scan a QR code.
The next thing I noticed would be a very welcome addition for privacy aficionados (meaning everyone). When you install a new app, the first time you open it, you decide if the app can send you notifications (Figure BUT).
Figure BUT
While you can already control which apps have access to the notification system, being able to configure it on the first run of every app makes the process significantly easier. told (and easier not to forget). Kudo to developers for adding this important security feature.
There’s a cool little addition found in the media playback tag in the Notification Balloon. When a song plays, you’ll see a squiggly indicator showing how far the media has played (SIZE).
SIZE
As for the look and feel of Android, a useful update is the ability to adjust the screen and text size at the same time. If you go to Settings | Show | Screen size and text, you can change the font size and display conveniently (Visualization).
Visualization
One thing that’s missing is the Find your phone feature configured in Home screen Settings on Android 12. This option no longer appears in Android 13, and I’m not sure if this option is still available. where is it. In Android 12 you can enable/disable Shortcuts, People, Settings and Pixel Tips in your search results. Android 13? Not much.
Speaking of Home screen settings, if you open that in Android 13, you’ll notice that Suggestions is back (Figure E).
Figure E
You can enable Suggestions in all application lists and/or on the Home screen.
One of the coolest features I found in Android 13 is the new clipboard editor. Let me set the stage: You visit a website and you want to copy/paste the URL. However, when you paste the URL, you notice that it includes a long string of random characters that may include information you don’t want to share. With Android 13, you can actually edit the clipboard contents.
After copying the URL, you’ll see a small indicator at the bottom of the screen that includes an edit button (Figure F).
Figure F
Hit the edit button and you can then edit the content before actually copying the content.
Android 13 Prediction: Stay tuned for additional cool features
OK, so Android 13 won’t be a big release with tons of new features to wow and excite users; However, everything is being done in the background, combined with a few new features that were revealed with the first beta, making me really excited about this release. Android 12 has been the best release to date. The reality is that Google is just adding some serious polish to what Android already has to make for a seriously interesting update.
I think every Android user will be thrilled with what’s to come. And since this is only the first beta release, you can be sure that there will be even more excitement.
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