Android Beta Program officially launched Android 13 QPR1 Beta today. The official website says that Pixel devices that are still supported, including Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6a, can all be upgraded.
Although this update is not a major update, it still provides a preview for the upcoming Pixel Feature Drops. Feature Drops is a quarterly update for Pixel smartphones that brings many features to the device. The next one is not expected to be released until December, but the latest beta version should provide some insight into what is expected. Mishaal Rahman, senior tech editor at
Esper, shows some of the upcoming changes by digging deep into the Android 13 QPR1 update.
● One of the more interesting changes in the Safety Center
update is the new Security Center, which combines security and privacy centers. Rahman said that although the feature is not online, it can be made effective by modifying the code, which shows that it is close to maturity.
● Audio function
Rahman also said in his tweet that Android 13 QPR1 also introduced some audio functions. Spacial Audio and Bluetooth LE Audio will be added in the new version, but these functions are not activated at present.
also has a feature called "Clear Call" that can help make calls clearer by reducing background noise. However, the feature has some limitations because it is not suitable for Wi-Fi calls and can be used on "most mobile networks."
● Pixel Tablet
Another interesting tidbit includes the Pixel Tablet previewed on Google earlier this year. While the company didn't provide many details about the device, a new animation found in the beta seems to give us more clues about the Google tablet plan.
animation shows that the tablet device is charging when set to a position that appears to be the dock. Additionally, when set on the Dock, a separate animation will show the Google Assistanttml6 logo, suggesting that the Pixel tablet may double as the rumored detachable Nest Hub device.
● Supports eSIM and other
Other changes include additional eSIM support (after the release of iPhone14), new animations in split-screen mode, settings showing Pixel battery health, and regression of unified search. You can check out Rahman's tweets to get a better idea of these features as he digs into them.
● Foldable device
In addition, developer Kuba Wojciechowski digs deep into the code and finds that it mentions foldable devices and "high-end tablets", which are expected to be released next year.
