With the launch of the Android 13 beta program, there is a premiere. Owners of the Google Pixel can currently choose from two beta versions. At this point, you can see that Android has evolved a lot. Not only is there an open beta program that virtually anyone with a reasonably up-to-date Pixel phone can participate in, but there are now also beta versions for all major updates.
Android 12 will receive its last major update next June. Google calls it a “quarterly release”, but will then market the update as a Pixel Feature Drop. At the same time, the new Android 13 is due in September. The beta program is now also at the start. Thus, owners of the Pixel phones can currently choose from two different beta versions. This has never happened before.
With regard to Android 13, Google already knows that it has a schedule and will keep to it. Thus, the Android 13 beta program closes in June 2023.
This is what Google is writing about the Android 13 beta:
You can pre-test the next unreleased Android platform, which is still under development, and try out new features. You will receive ongoing beta updates for the duration of the platform release cycle, including quarterly platform releases (QPRs). This program ends in June 2023 with the release of Android’s stable June QPR and feature drop for pixels.
Flying switch between beta versions
And yes, it seems that with Android 12 Beta installed, I can switch directly to the Android 13 Beta. All I have to do is sign out my device from the beta program and then directly sign it up for the Android 13 beta. Let’s see how smoothly this works. However, it should not go in the other direction. Switching to an older operating system version is usually not possible.