Android 12.1 Likely To Come After Android 12 Instead Of Android 13

Google has just released the fifth and final beta of Android 12, which is also considered a release candidate. Work on the next update is already in progress, although Android 13 is not to be expected. Instead, there will probably be a “point update” called Android 12.1

As reported by XDA Developers, resourceful developers came across indications that Google is planning the first point update for Android in years for the rest of the year. Android 12 will appear shortly, which is about to be completed, but corresponding entries in the AOSP-Gerrit already announce that a smaller but important update is planned with Android 12.1 before the upgrade to Android 13 is due next year.

Snow Cone 2

Specifically, it speaks of Android 12.1 “SC-v2”, which probably stands for “Snow Cone Version 2”. “Snow Cone” is the code name used internally at least for Android 12 “S”, although for some time Google has refrained from publicly naming the releases with the previously common names of sweets.

The intermediate step in the form of Android 12.1 is still not certain, because Google could simply do without it with the API level 32 planned by XDA as a sign of the major update. Instead, the API level 31 used for Android 12 could simply be raised to 32 through the update. Normally, when you switch to a new API level, there is also a change in the version number, so that the name Android 12.1 is quite likely.

The upgrade to API level 33 will only take place with Android 13 “T”, also known as “Tiramisu”. The intermediate step in the form of Android 12.1 could have a good reason: Google is planning to launch its new Pixel 6 series smartphones in the fall, but these are not expected until the final version of Android 12 is available.