Android 12.1 for Foldables Gets an Early Preview

The assumption today, based on all sorts of reported evidence, is that Google will release a point update to Android 12 in the very near future, likely as a way to welcome in additional foldable support that could see the light first on a Pixel foldable device. We don’t yet have an official confirmation on what Google will call this release, but Android 12.1 seems like a pretty obvious choice.

The folks at XDA say they’ve been given access by a source to an unreleased Android 12.1 build and have taken the time to dive in and see what’s new. In their findings, there are a number of changes that would only show through on a foldable device, like a Pixel Fold or Pixel “Passport.”

Most of what they’ve found so far appears to be pretty standard or expected foldable OS changes. For example, you’ll find a lockscreen separation with the clock on one side and notifications on the other. The notification area could be used to show both quick settings and notifications, using each side. The settings menu could also use the extra space as sort of a tiered or expanded menu system. The app switcher will you show you a mix of large and small previews of recent apps, depending on which was most recently used.

Here are a couple of looks at those items:

Again, all pretty standard foldable or big screen stuff here, but with Android 12.1, this should be the most polished or finished version of Google’s foldable ideas, especially if they plan to bring it to devices, including their first Pixel foldable.

We’re assuming that Android 12 will hit stable next week for Pixel phones, followed by a launch of the Pixel 6 line-up. Once that happens, I think it’s safe for all to start a countdown as to when we’ll learn more about Android 12.1.