Every year Google updates the version of its operating system for mobile devices. In October 2021, Android 12 will be released, with a number of changes compared to the previous generation. So it's important to understand what's new and how to install it on your smartphone.
What's new in firmware
Before downloading the update and assessing the changes yourself, it is worth studying the overview of the twelfth generation of Android. This information will give you an idea of what to expect once the update is installed.
New Design and Widgets
The twelfth version of Android features the biggest design change in history. Google calls the design of Android 12 in the words Material You. Its features are expressed in a single colour space for all elements of the operating system.
The colour scheme in Android 12 will directly depend on the selected wallpaper. The selected image will affect the design of menu items as well as application icons. In this way, every owner of a twelfth-generation smartphone creates a theme based on the wallpaper.
As for widgets, they, too, adjust to the screensaver design. Compared to Android 11, they are larger and reminiscent of the design of recent iOS builds. The Google Sans font is used and can be adjusted on a point-by-point basis.
New Notification Shade
Those who decide to upgrade to Android 12 will surely appreciate the new design of the notification centre and lock screen. Notifications are now grouped by individual apps, making it easy to find the right one in the morning. Google's firmware also features an integrated quick-answer system for incoming messages, as evidenced by almost every video review of the OS.
In Always-on-Display mode, notifications will show up too. And if they are not, only the clock is displayed on the screen. By the way, similar to the other interface elements, they adjust to the selected wallpaper to create an overall colour scheme.
Optimisation of Everything
When developing Android 12, Google paid special attention to optimising the firmware. Devices that upgrade to the twelfth generation OS will receive an increase in the following parameters:
- reducing Android's CPU load by 22%;
- increase of battery life by 15%;
- 47 times faster switching between apps;
- acceleration of program requests to databases by 36%;
- acceleration of screen rotation by 25%.
In practice, this translates into improved device performance. Google has also integrated several useful features, including play-as-you-download and Game Mode API. The former allows you to play until the end of resource loading, while the latter allows you to use all of your smartphone's resources to increase performance in games.
Total Security
Of course, the developers haven't skimped on user security. Android 12 has introduced a privacy panel. It is used to control access for individual apps. The Privacy Dashboard is characterised by its clarity, which allows you to see your privacy settings at a glance.
Phones with Android 12 will also get indicators that allow you to assess whether the app you are running is using the camera or microphone. Sensors are controlled via the notification shade.
Gestures
Finally, Android 12 integrates new control functions. In particular, a double tap on the lid of the device will bring up the voice assistant. There is also an option to create a long screenshot. However, this feature is already available in most Android apps.
List of Devices Getting Android 12
Owners of several hundred models will be able to appreciate the innovations of Android 12. For the most part, these are devices released in 2019-2021. Here's a detailed list of smartphones that will receive the update:
- ASUS Zenfone 7-8, ROG Phone 3-5;
- Samsung Galaxy S10-S21, A01-A72, M02-M51, Z Fold 1-3, Z Flip;
- Xiaomi Mi 9-11, A3;
- Redmi Note 9-10;
- Redmi 9-10;
- POCO M3, X3, F3;
- Blackshark 2-4;
- Pixel 3-5;
- OnePlus 7-9;
- OnePlus Nord 1-2;
- OPPO Reno 3-6, Find X 2-3, A53-A95;
- TECNO Camon 17.
This is by no means a complete list of devices that can expect an upgrade. We recommend that you check the smartphone manufacturer's website or the relevant support team for information on support for Android 12. Also Android 12 will have virtually all models released between 2021 and 2022.
Android 12 Release Date
The official release date for Android 12 is 4 October 2021. However, this does not mean that your smartphone will receive the update on that date. When the stable version "arrives" depends directly on the device manufacturer. Some may delay the process until the autumn of 2022.
Nevertheless, no one prevents you from putting a beta version of the update on your phone. The relevant builds are posted on the Google website from where they can be downloaded.
How to install the update?
The installation process for Android 12 will differ depending on whether you want to use the beta version (test version) or the stable version of the firmware.
Beta version
A test version of the operating system can be installed now. To do so, you will need:
- Open a special page on the Google website.
- Choose your device from the list.
- Download the distributive.
- Downloaded file to the internal memory of the smartphone.
- Activate USB debugging on your phone.
- Connect the phone to the PC with ADB installed.
- Use the command line to set path to the folder.
- Process "adb devices" and "adb reboot fastboot" requests one by one.
- After entering Recovery mode on the smartphone select "Enter recovery" and then "Apply update from ADB".
- In the command line specify the path to the downloaded image (e.g. "adb sideload ota.zip".
Then you just have to wait for the update to complete. This method should only be used by experienced users who are able to follow each step correctly.
Stable version
Whatever the case may be, the best option is to wait until Android 12 is officially released for your device. This could be months or even a year after release. You are, however, guaranteed to install the update without any problems. The smartphone owner will simply need to go to the OS update section in the device settings and confirm the installation.
Installing Android 12 firmware
Now it's even easier to update and install the operating system of your smartphone or tablet to the latest version. To install the new firmware, just download Android 12 from our website, follow the instructions from the downloaded archive, download and install the application on your Android smartphone or tablet.
To download the firmware for your mobile device, you need to click on the link below:
Download Android 12 (SP1A.210812.015, Oct 2021)
