Although Android 12L is coming for “L-sized” large-screen devices, it is generally speculated that Google may be preparing for the legendary Pixel Fold. However, in The Android Show held online recently, officials revealed many of their considerations in building this twin system. Continue reading Google sees tablet computers resurrected after Play was shelved, and is preparing to kick it in with “tablet-first apps.”
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Google saw tablets resurrected after Play was shelved, and is ready to kick it in with “tablet-first apps”
Speaking of Play being “suspected” to be put on hold by Google, that is, a system that has been left alone for a long time and ignored, what will come to everyone’s mind? Coincidentally, the first two Android Wear OS smart wearable device systems that come to mind in the editor’s mind, as well as Honeycomb, which can obviously develop a dedicated tablet system earlier than Apple iPadOS, seem to have suddenly been thought of by Google recently?
It has been intensively tested recently and has recently been released for Pixel phones (which may not make any difference in use). Android 12 L official version. Google is using a video to talk to everyone about the reasons for launching such a sister system for large-screen tablets and folding-screen phones, as well as its future prospects for this system, and why they are starting to pay attention to the tablet experience “again.”
Google first mentioned that they actually launched the first Android tablet as early as 2011 – but what they didn’t mention is that after that, they didn’t seem to take it too seriously to launch a system that responded to the needs of tablet users or even made more in-depth use of the special features of the big screen.
However, in recent years, as Android tablets have given people the impression of being affordable, and are very suitable for large-screen use such as YouTube, some people even think that they can make better progress in creation and productivity. Since 2019, tablet computers have gradually performed better and better in terms of sales – of course, the changes in lifestyle brought about by the epidemic have had an accelerating effect. But Google still believes that the main reason is that tablet computers are beginning to show their essential advantages.
Even observing all the way after 2020, Rich Miner, CTO of Google’s tablet department, believes that compared with the past, laptops were regarded as the natural choice for large screens and productivity. Given the ebb and flow of sales, the future of tablet PC sales surpassing notebook PC sales is not too far away.
“I actually think that there’s going to be a crossover point at some point in the not too distant future where there are more tablets sold annually than there are laptops. I think once you cross over that point, you’re not going to be coming back.
Since we are optimistic about large-screen devices, the emergence of the Android 12 L system that focuses on this experience is natural. Rich Miner, CTO of Google’s tablet division, added in the video that if tablets are used by more users for creation and productivity purposes as expected, then how can apps effectively utilize the stylus built into these tablets and respond to the needs of users who may no longer own laptops in the future. These are all topics worthy of discussion.
Because of this, they saw a new wave of “tablet-first” application demand for large-screen mobile devices.
Just like the original mistaken idea that desktop applications could be directly applied to mobile devices, the Mobile First experience eventually emerged. When it comes to tablets versus laptops, Google chose to use the Android L system to correspond to a tablet-based system experience.
Android L product manager Andrea Zvinakis also revealed in the video the challenges this system faces in the new generation. She specifically mentioned that in response to Google’s various services and systems, the development team needs to ensure that application zoom can be displayed normally on tablets and even foldable phones – and that it must be able to be held horizontally and directly.
She believes that the main reason why some users particularly like to use large-screen devices is that they can have better productivity and multi-tasking capabilities. In response to this need, when it comes to the Android 12 L system, Google has specially designed a toolbar at the bottom for users to quickly access recent applications, and can also directly drag and drop to activate multi-tasking paging mode. You can easily realize the functions of browsing the web while writing letters and comparing web information while shopping.
Regarding the future development of large-screen devices, Zvinakis believes that there will be more trends in the integration of different device categories. For example, a tablet becomes like a laptop if a keyboard is plugged in; needless to say, a foldable phone allows you to quickly switch between a phone and a tablet.
Speaking of which, Google’s view of tablet computers surpassing laptops seems to be reminiscent of Apple’s remarks about the post-PC era. At the time, the iPad was just a tablet. Today, Apple’s development of iPadOS is not only about the hardware, but it is indeed closer to a notebook computer when equipped with accessories such as trackpads and keyboards. The software has also long ago changed from the original strategy of merging with mobile phones to standalone iPadOS.
From this point of view, fortunately, Google seems to be catching up with the trend brought about by the continuous launch of Android tablets by all three brands. But since they have tried a dedicated tablet system very early, it cannot be said that they did not see such a future.
If you ask the editor, why did “tablet first” suddenly become their new goal. Although it may be a point that Android tablets are getting better and better over time, but the more important point may be that Google is about to enter the folding mobile phone hardware, which has been rumored for a long time. This seems to be quite consistent. They have always been a bit enthusiastic and at the forefront of world technology. However, it often fails to sustain the development of the overall ecosystem. impression.
That is to say, I personally am very optimistic about such development. I don’t know what else Instagram can do when both Apple and Google camps are vigorously developing large-screen tablet systems.What’s the reason why you can’t develop tablet apps?(Eh).
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Source: KOCPC Chinese