It’s already March and before you know it, August will be here and with it, Android 13. Of course, if you don’t mind installing unstable software on a compatible Android phone, you can join the beta program when the first beta version of the build appears next month. That is one month earlier than normal which means that Google CEO Sundar Pichai didn’t see his shadow and Android 13 will drop in August instead of September or even October (like last year).
Android 13 is expected to feature Hub Mode for families who share a tablet
Render of Pixel Tablet based on Google patent application
During the start of the pandemic, many families shared a tablet for work, school, and entertainment. That explains the focus on a shared tablet experience with Android 13. With Hub Mode, a trusted network can also be created that would force users to be connected to it in order to use Hub Mode (such as a password-protected home Wi-Fi account). Android 13 Developer Preview 1 suggests that charging docks for tablets could be considered a different type of power supply and this could lead to improvements in how Android tablets save power when idle.
A change to the Play Store would show tablet users ratings for apps and games from other tablet users only
The Android 13 DP1 also has code that points to a big makeover for the operating system’s screen saver. And to keep a child from exiting the current task on his tablet screen, a “kids mode” for the navigation bar is reportedly being developed. The kids might not appreciate that, but they could enjoy some of the improvements to gaming that are supposedly being developed for Android slates.
And soon Android users will be able to open the Google Play Store and see app ratings that were submitted by users with a similar device. In other words, a tablet user would see ratings for an app specifically left by other Android tablet users. This is ingenious because some apps and games offer a better experience on a tablet than on a phone and vice versa.
