For many years, Google has followed a simple and easily understandable scheme for Android: Every year in late summer there is a new Android version and in the months before that there is a preview phase of the upcoming operating system. But that seems to be over for the time being, because a very confusing situation has been created in the last few weeks, which apparently not all teams at Google themselves have a complete overview of.
The Android cycle has been easy to keep track of for many years and has had a number of advantages: there is a major update once a year and before that, there is a long preview phase that has now stretched to over six months. So there is a single current operating system for six months and the current version including the preview version of the successor for six months. The preview can be tried out in later phases at the push of a button on the Pixel smartphones and a few other devices.
The entire cycle only revolves around the main version and leaves everything else out: The monthly security update and the Pixel Feature Drop, which is rolled out once a quarter, are not affected and will be rolled out to all users without any test phase. Aside from the recent Pixel 6 snags, this has stood the test of time and worked beautifully for everyone involved. But that’s over for the time being, which is becoming very clear these days.
The insertion of Android 12L between Android 12 and Android 13 caused some ambiguity and some problems on the Pixel 6 smartphones, but the latest development takes this to the extreme and ensures that nobody really cares anymore knows. This seems to be the case even within Google.
Android 12 QPR3 Beta
A few days ago, the final version of Android 12L was released and rolled out to third to fifth-generation Pixel smartphones. That could have ended the chapter and paved the way for the first Android 13 beta, which is expected in mid-April. But Google doesn’t make it that easy for users. Just two days after the Android 12L rollout, the Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 was released. Both this fact and the name made three letters hover over my head personally: WTF?!
Android 12 QPR3 Beta is the first beta of Android 12 QPR3. QPR stands for “Quarterly Platform Release” and is probably Android’s internal designation for the Pixel Feature Drops. So it’s the preview of the next Pixel Feature Drop expected in June 2022. At least in this release, the preview phase lasts just as long as the actuality. Three months preview and then it’s current for three months until the next update in September.
Google wants to test all major updates in advance
The intention behind this new version is initially a very good one: they want to test all major Android updates in advance and thus solve problems early on and collect user feedback. A good thing, perhaps also spurred on by recent Pixel 6 troubles. This has certainly been the case internally for a long time, but for the public beta channel, it seems to be a bit much. It is also questionable what you actually want to test for three months because the vast majority of feature drop innovations take place within the apps and not directly in the operating system.
The Android versions are causing confusion
And so we now have the following situation: Android 12 is the current operating system, which a few days ago was “replaced” by Android 12L on the Pixel smartphones (with the exception of the sixth generation). Whether it’s Android 12L or Android 12.1 doesn’t matter. Interestingly, Google itself talks about “Android 12L” all the time, but after the update from Android 12 to Android 12L, the smartphones are still officially on the road as “Android 12”. So the L disappears during the update process.
Nevertheless, the new beta is called “Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1”. Why isn’t it “Android 12.1 QPR3 Beta 1”? We must also not forget that the first Android 13 Developer Preview is already available. So is Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 or Android 13 DP 1 the newer version? Even Google doesn’t know for sure.
Google’s update systems are confused
On Wednesday evening, the first problem arose: Anyone who had already installed Android 13 DP1 and was in the beta channel at the same time was offered Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1. That’s correct because it’s the younger version. Still, it’s a downgrade in both name and API level. This was carried out without any problems, but then sent many a pixel smartphone into a boot loop that could only be solved by a factory reset. Annoying, but if you use a developer preview, you have to reckon with problems – Google has always warned against this.
More Android versions than Pixel generations
And so we have the following situation as of today: Pixel 3 to Pixel 5a are on Android 12L. Pixel 6 on Android 12. Pixel users in the Beta Channel on Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 and experimental users on Android 13 DP1. It’s hard to imagine how the imminent launch of the Android 13 beta will further shake things up. This is not only extremely confusing for users, but should also raise question marks behind the scenes and among app developers. One has to wonder why Google unnecessarily created such a situation for itself. What if you also release the security updates in advance as a beta in the future?
Should Google get rid of the version number?
At least outwardly, the problem could be solved by getting rid of the Android version number and simply establishing several update channels – similar to Chrome. A stable, a beta, a dev. Most Chrome users don’t care about the version number and if you had a similar system on Android, it would be the same. You would have Android 12L in the stable, Android 12 QPR3 in the beta and Android 13 in Dev. Maybe something like that will come along in the next few months…