Sometime in this Fall, Google will officially release their new Android 12 mobile operating system. While most Android users will either have to wait several months or will never see this update come to their Android phones (only select Android phones will receive this update in September/October, more on this later), talking about this latest release gives a glimpse into where Google is heading with their mobile efforts. If you like what you hear and want to try it out yourself, we will have some recommended smartphones below that can currently install the beta hand will be receiving the Android 12 update later this Fall.
Disclaimer, Please Read Before Proceeding
I think it’s important to point out right at the beginning here that I am an iPhone user. For my workflow, an iPhone is the best fit and provides me with a range of tools that are essential to what I do. With that said, I’m an experienced developer and create applications for multiple platforms. I use Android daily when developing websites and applications for our clients.
Also, clicking on the smartphone below and/or Buy on Amazon link will bring you over to amazon.com to purchase via an affiliate link. Buying this smartphone from this link won’t cost you anything extra but will provide us with an affiliate referral to helps us offset the cost of writing content and recommendations like this.
The Current State of Android
Android is a very different experience between manufacturers and this can make talking about features and design quite difficult. Being that Android is open-source, manufacturers have a big say in what consumers see with the software that ultimately gets delivered to their devices. A lot of devices purchased will never see an upgrade from their current version of Android to a new version like Android 12. For the sake of this article, I will be referring to “pure Android” on Google’s Pixel devices. I will also focus on the overall operating system performance and design changes made throughout the operating system.
Performance
When it comes to Android, performance is the key thing to look at. Regardless of how things are skinned or modified at the manufacturers level, the core performance of the operating system will remain present. This is where Android 12 shines. One great example is the animations and movement within the OS. Android has always had this jagged and jumpy feel to it when scrolling through lists, webpages and more. Android 12 addressed that with buttery smooth scrolling. Another area is with with handling auto rotation. To achieve this, Google had to do some crazy things to fix another issue that has been plaguing Android for years now (I have had auto-rotate off on every Android phone I’ve owned until 12.
Design Changes
Design has been one of the most touted things about Android 12. There has been an overall consistency with colors and the overall OS theme and reminds me of what Microsoft just achieved with Windows 11. The old settings dialog boxes have all been updated to adhere to the new design aesthetic that Google has created.
One of the things that I’ve not been all too impressed with is the typing experience. Things like copy and paste are still operating in the way that they were first introduced back in 2012. The overall design has been modified somewhat to tie into the new Android 12 aesthetic but the usage of it is painful. The main problem is that it is not consistent across the operating system. The look of it is different from app to app with chrome having the best experience and Google’s Gmail app having largely a rudimentary layout similar to Google ancient Ice Cream Sandwich OS style.
Thee design changes also look like a legitimate skin of Android in the way Samsung or other device manufacturers modify Android’s user experience. I can’t help if this is a bigger play that Google has in store for their Pixel phone lineup.
overall thoughts
Android 12 is not a major update from a feature standpoint but the design and performance changes are welcomed. I feel that this makes the OS more approachable to iPhone users and other non-techy smartphone users. Overall, it is a great update and it’s hard to go back to Android 11.
Recommended Smartphones
If you’re interested in getting Android 12 and want to buy a solid smartphone for a competitive price, we’d recommend either the Pixel 4a or the Pixel 4a with 5G smartphones. The pixel 4A lineup are well reviewed phones and we have been using the Pixel A series phones internally for testing purposes (specifically the 3a). With the pixel 3A running Android 12 very smoothly, the Pixel 4a series would be a great smartphone to buy. You can also get it for a better price than the just released pixel 5A and there’s little difference from a spec standpoint between the two.
About the Author
Originally from Snellville Georgia, Erik McNair has worked with some of the biggest businesses in the Southeast to help grow businesses in a profitable and sustainable manner. He is an advanced web and app developer, graphic designer, and marketing consultant. He has a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Telecommunications. He’s a certified Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Bing Ads marketing professional.
Outside of marketing, Mr. McNair is an avid technologist. He’s always running the latest software betas and testing out new and exciting products. He occasionally writes about thoughts on technology, but his main focus has been on growing and establishing McNair Media. He loves spending his personal time with his family and expanding his cooking hobby.
