microsoft has started to unfold Android 12L for the two generations of SurfaceDuo, their dual-screen smartphones. Despite the fact that none of them has been a commercial success, it is still another chapter in which we see devices from the Redmond giant using an operating system that is not Windows, although in favor of the corporation it can be said that it has happened time since it diversified its offer on that front.
However, Microsoft embracing Android doesn’t mean it’s just jumping through Google’s hoop, as the Windows maker has tweaked the mobile operating system to make connections “stronger between your Windows 11 PC and your computer.” Duo device, which makes your day to day easier”. It is well known that Microsoft is interested in integrating Android into Windows, so much so that it is developing a Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) that has recently reached version 1.0 without yet being a complete solution.
Returning to the topic at hand, the arrival of Android 12L to the two generations of Surface Duo, from what can be seen in the published images, is intended to be a visual renewal that represents a more homogeneous experience between Windows and the mobile operating system by unifying the iconography, colors and controls of the user interface.
The user will find in Android 12L for Surface Duo a culmination (or at least Microsoft expresses itself in those terms) of the visual alignment in the quick settings and system settings to contribute to “a greater operability between devices”. On the other hand, the dynamic theme engine gives the possibility to personalize the experience with the color palettes applied throughout the system based on the wallpaper set.
Another aspect highlighted by the Redmond-based corporation is the Pen menu, which involves a Surface Slim Pen 2 digital pen that works on x86 PCs of the same brand and the Surface Duo 2. This peripheral should automatically pair as soon as you press with him on the screen.
Continuing with more details, there are the privacy enhancements brought by Android 12, with a new dashboard “that tracks camera, microphone, and location usage by apps over the last 24 hours. Camera and microphone usage is now actively indicated in the status bar at all times. Android 12 also gives the customer control over per-app location accuracy, allowing them to choose between coarse and fine accuracy based on their preferences.”
Finally, we can highlight the facilities to transfer data from an Apple iPhone, the addition of some other new widget to improve the experience with the system and a Glance Bar that was updated in June to support notifications of a conversation.
In short, Android 12L is now available for Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 in order to improve aspects such as the user experience, especially when it comes to offering consistency with Windows, as well as privacy. We will see if Microsoft is encouraged to carry the recent Android 13.
