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To launch split-screen mode, you can drag an item from the taskbar. (That two-finger swipe gesture also looks neat.)
Samsung
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You can view three apps at once if you really want to multitask.
Samsung
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Here’s how the taskbar works on a foldable.
Samsung
Google may have already upgraded to Android 13, but the biggest Android maker, Samsung, is only just beginning to update devices to Android 12L. Android 12L was released in March, so Samsung’s update time is around six months.
Yesterday the company announced Android 12L for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, both of which launched with Android 11 last year. Just before the weekend, Samsung also announced Android 12L for its flagship tablet, with the Galaxy Tab S8 series first on deck for updates.
Both of these devices are great candidates for Android 12L, as this release was primarily focused on large-screen devices and foldables. The main feature is the lower taskbar, which displays recent app icons, allowing you to easily switch between them. There are new split-screen features like the ability to see three apps at once, and you can easily launch split-screen by dragging an app off the taskbar. There’s also a new split-pane notification panel.
There’s no word on an Android 12L update for Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S22. The S22 just got an update that brought Samsung’s skin version number up to par with those big-screen 12L Android devices, so there’s a good chance 12L will never come to Samsung smartphones. standard.
Rolling out Android 12L was a new strategy for Google, which seems to have worked. Usually, releases arrive towards the end of the year on Pixel phones, and the rest of the Android ecosystem slowly begins to roll out the release over the next calendar year. Android 12L saw Google split Android’s development year in half, with the 12L release in March and a smaller version of Android 13 in August.
We wrote at the time: “Rushing the 12L’s features gives Samsung and Lenovo the usual six-month window to have a new version of Android ready in time for the holidays.” That appears to be exactly what happened, with Samsung’s August release of the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 getting Android 12L functionality and those updates arriving in time for the end of the year. If you can’t speed up Android ecosystem updates, it seems like cutting the build in half and releasing code sooner is a viable strategy to get key features to market faster.
Listing image by Samsung
