- Google expands Android 13 Beta update to non-Pixel smartphones
- OnePlus, Realme, Xiaomi, and other OEMs can also join the programme
- The new Android 13 OS comes with enhanced privacy modes, app-specific language settings, support for HDR video, and more
On the sidelines of Pixel 6a, Pixel Buds Bro, and other hardware announcements at Google I/O 2022, the Mountain View company has released a new beta update for its latest mobile OS Android 13. This is the second beta update for the upcoming OS, which is expected to be announced officially later this year. What’s more, the Android 13 Beta 2 update is available on not just Pixel devices, but eligible OnePlus, Realme, Vivo, Xiaomi, and other devices as well. Anyone can enrol themselves on the beta programme as long as they have got an eligible device, which can be checked from here.
If you are holding an eligible Android device, you will be given the option to enrol yourself for Android 13 Beta 2. It’s a one-click affair, and the beta update should be ready for your device in a few hours (or less). That said, OEMs don’t follow Google’s timeline. They have their own enrollments programme – so don’t go complaining to Google if your eligible Android 13 Beta 2 device isn’t getting the update.
Here’s a list of non-Pixel devices that are eligible for Android 13 Beta 2 update:
- ASUS ZenFone 8
- Lenovo Tab P12 Pro
- OnePlus 10 Pro
- OPPO Find X5 Pro
- Realme GT2 Pro
- Tecno Camion 19 Pro 5G
- Vivo X80 Pro
- Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro
- Xiaomi Pad 5
- ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
- Sharp Aquos Sense6
More devices are likely to follow. Additionally, the next Android 13 beta update is scheduled to be released next month i.e. June. The update will be called Platform Stability as it will have the final SDK and BDK APIs along with app-facing system behaviours of the OS. It should be noted that since these are beta updates, they are likely to be buggy.
Android 13 features
Coming to the features, the Android 13 comes with a slew of privacy-protection features. The system rocks new permission for sending notifications, a privacy-protecting photo picker, and improved permissions for pairing with nearby devices and accessing media files. There is also a new unified Security and Privacy page, which offers a colour-coded indicator of your safety status and suggestions about how to improve your digital security and privacy. Additionally, the Android 13 has app-specific language settings, support for HDR, matching apps icons, Bluetooth LE audio, and MIDI 2.0 over USB. The OS boasts of the same material UI design as last year’s Android 12.
