With the excitement of the Pixel 6 still building, Google announced the next big thing in Android, Android 12L. The release of 12L, which many have dubbed Android 12.1, focuses on larger screens. This means that tablets and foldable devices will finally get a properly scaled UI.

This is not a new version of Android. Google calls this a "special feature drop to make Android 12 better on the big screen. Feature drops are usually reserved for Pixels, and some will appear later in the general build of Android.

Feature drops also mean that Google will not split Android into separate builds for phones and tablets, as Apple did last year with iOS and iPadOS. Essentially, your Pixel will run Android 12L, but you won't see its large screen features. Instead, these features are intended for 600dp+ displays, i.e., density-independent pixels.

What does Android 12L offer? It boils down to a new UI that makes better use of screen real estate and additional multitasking options like multi-window and taskbar. Basically, think of what Samsung did with the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

From the notification shade and quick settings to the lock screen and home screen, Android 12L has refined the overall look and feel while maintaining the Material You vibe and tone. The new multitasking option also matches the taskbar, allowing users to split up the apps they need by simply dragging them onto the screen. All apps now support split screen, although previously this was opt-in for developers.

Google has not seriously considered large screens for a very long time, even when they were making tablets. The sudden interest now is certainly intriguing. After all, rumors leading up to Android 12L suggested that the update would coincide with Google's release of its own foldable device. But that may be grasping at straws. Perhaps Google has seen the growing popularity of folding devices, especially among other Android device makers, and wants to make things easier for its partners (especially Samsung).

Android 12L will be released early next year, which Google says "will be in time for the next wave of Android 12 tablets, Chromebooks, and foldables."