In case you missed it, Google recently released the Android 13 December Feature Drop for select Pixel devices. However, that was just a glimpse of all the new Android 13 features that will soon be dropped for Google’s phones.
After the December Feature Drop, Google released the Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1 (Quarterly Platform Release). The Beta is available for developers, and it gives us a glimpse of all the new features and changes you can expect in the future updates of Android 13. And in short, without any doubt, all these new features will significantly improve your Android experience.
All the Upcoming New Android 13 Features
UI Tweaks
First, let’s talk about the visual changes that the new Beta brought to the table. And one of the most noticeable changes is found in the Quick Settings department.
As you can see, the digital clock is much larger than the current builds. The date is also moved below the clock. The cellular service label, which shows up next to the status bar icons of the current builds, is moved to the top right-hand corner. And it comes with a much larger-sized font.
Google has been known for tweaking the “Now Playing” widget. And once again, the widget has been tweaked in the Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1.
In the latest build, you will also notice a foggy overlay on the album art background. This animation only appears when you first open the media player. It does not occur at other times, which makes us believe that Google is still working on it.
There's a neat, sort of fog-like effect that appears over the album art in the media player after a few seconds. pic.twitter.com/QSNqpQWmUR
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) December 13, 2022
Redesigned Back Gesture
A revamped back gesture is one of the upcoming new Android 13 features. The thing is, the back gesture of Android has been pretty much the same since Android 10. And a redesigned back animation for the latest Android makes a lot of sense.
However, in the latest build, the new back gesture is disabled by default. That makes us think that Google is still working on it. Nonetheless, when enabled, the back arrow is placed inside a circular blob, which stretches to match the motion of the gesture. See it in action:
Quickly Launch Apps
Another new feature that is not enabled by default is the ability to quickly launch apps from the search bar. It is pretty much iOS, where you can quickly launch an app by pressing the enter button on the keyboard. But for this work, the app must be installed on your phone.
Basically, when you search for an installed app, there will be a highlight behind that app’s icon. After that highlight, you can press the enter button to quickly launch the app. In other words, you will not need to move your finger and tap the app icon to launch it.
Gizchina News of the week
Desktop Mode (One of the Best New Android 13 Features?)
We have been waiting for a proper desktop mode on Android. And the new features of Android might soon deliver it to us. How so? Well, the one found in the latest Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1 looks to be the best and most stable version of the feature yet.
When you enable the desktop mode, all the apps will open up in free windows. You can drag them around the screen, just as you would the apps to behave in a desktop environment. The desktop mode will also enable you to change the size of the window, maximize or minimize the apps, and use multiple apps in split-screen mode.
That said, the feature still needs some work. But when it’s complete, we expect it to work similarly to modern-day Windows and macOS. And as you can guess, this feature might debut with the Pixel Tablet, which is due to launch next year.
Partial Screen Sharing
Along with the Desktop Mode, there’s a Partial Screen Sharing in the new Android 13 features list. Basically, with this feature, users will be able to cast or record one particular app.
The feature will work similarly to sharing separate windows or tabs in conference calls. And when the feature drops, you can choose between recording one particular app or sharing the entire device screen.
Redesigned Taskbar
It seems like a new taskbar is on its way for Android tablets. It will fully embrace the Material You design. And instead of being ever-present on the bottom of the screen, it will have iPad-like gestures. That means you can swipe it up to bring it up. And like other new Android 13 features, this one is also disabled by default.
Grayscale Material You Theme
According to Mishaal Rahman, the trusted Android expert, Google will add a monochromatic theme on Android 13. And according to 9to5Google, the theme will primarily have two colors. Those are #333333 and #666666. These two are dark and light shades of gray.
As you might have guessed, the theme caters to those users who are not a fan of the colorful theming of Material You.
Other New Android 13 Features Found in the QPR2 Beta 1
Along with all the other new features mentioned above, the QPR2 Beta 1 of Android 13 brings these features:
- Thicker padding for icons in the Pixel Launcher
- The ability to enable 1080p resolution on the Pixel 6 Pro
- A makeover on the Battery Health settings
- Spatial audio will now be available again for the Pixel 6 range
- Separate ringtone volume for notification and ringtone sounds
Needless to say, the latest Android 13 build has tons of new and exciting features. We believe most of these will make their way to the next stable build for Pixel devices. But which ones do you want to see first? Let us know in the comments below!
