Android 12 is finally here, though you probably can’t get it yet. The source code has been released to manufacturers, but it’ll still be weeks before it reaches Google Pixel owners. The final Android 12 beta (Beta 5) debuted a whole ago, bringing with it a really good look at most of the new features that will eventually show up in the operating system once it finally rolls out to everyone. From the refreshed design language to the Material You theming options to the Privacy Center, Google now allows testers to experience exactly what will be hitting their phones when Android 12 becomes publicly available.
Of course, given the fact that the Android 12 release is full steam ahead, you might be wondering when you can get your hands on it. The answer? It depends on what phone you have. Google has laid out a vague Android 12 release schedule alongside the announcement of the operating system, so we do have some idea of which phones will get Android 12, and when.
What phones will get Android 12?
It was expected that all Pixel devices from the Pixel 3 and would will get Android 12 on launch day, along with some Android One partners. For Android 11, Sony, OnePlus, and Xiaomi all participated in the betas, and got the final release when it was available or very soon after. OnePlus also clarified that despite merging codebase with Oppo, it still plans to release Oxygen OS 12 shortly after the Android 12 launch.
Android 12’s launch played out differently than was expected. While Android 12 has been released to the Android Open Source Project, Google has yet to release it on Pixels. Instead, the company is rolling it out to Pixel phones in the coming weeks, perhaps alongside the Google Pixel 6 which is getting the Pixel Fall Launch event on October 19. Google says it’ll come to Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, and Xiaomi devices later this year.
Samsung will certainly be rolling out Android 12 pretty speedily. More specifically, expect Android 12 to come to the S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra first. The company has begun testing One UI 4 updates on those flagships in Korea and rolled out the One UI 4 Beta Program in select markets on September 14, allowing S21 users to sign up using the Samsung Members app.
“One UI 4 helps users create their own, optimized mobile experience because Samsung recognizes that, everyone wants to meet their unique needs and preferences,” Dr. TM Roh, President and head of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business said in September. “As we’ve done with every iteration of our One UI, we’ve listened to our users to understand the tools and innovations needed to create a better, more reliable, and enhanced overall user experience.”
While One UI 4 was initially thought to ship without Google’s Material You, a later update brought the wallpaper theming to Samsung’s implementation. It’s not clear whether Samsung simply brought its own take on the feature (and early indicators do show some difference), the company does have robust theming capabilities after all, or simply got early access by virtue of being Samsung.
Either way, all users will find the security features Google included present, alongside enhanced customizability options. You can expect every A-Series and S-Series Samsung phone released in the past four years to get One UI 4 and Android 12 eventually, though the flagships will naturally take priority.
Oppo has announced an Android 12 and Color OS 12 rollout as well. This will come to over 100 Oppo phones throughout 2022. The Find X3 and OnePlus 9 (in China), will get the update first. Later, the company will roll it out to other popular high-mid range Oppo phones through the first half of 2022. For OnePlus phones, the company has debuted OxygenOS 12 alongside an open beta for OnePlus 9 owners. In the future, the company will roll this out to the OnePlus 8 series, the OnePlus 7 series phones, and the Nord, Nord 2, and Nord CE 5G.
Xiaomi has also claimed that it plans to debut MIUI 13 at the end of the year Eventually, all high-end Android phones and most midrange phones from the past year or so should get Android 12, but it may take a while. After all, look at the Galaxy S20 series, which only got Android 11 starting in January, though Google finalized the OS in September. It’s pretty common for even flagship phones to get the next major software update two or more months after it’s released by Google. This has been a long-standing problem with Android releases, though it’s certainly gotten better over time.
Should I download the beta now or wait?
Google has released the Android 12 source code, so if you want to try it out you should be able to sideload. At this point, you’re probably better off waiting for the final release if you’ve held out this long. Of course, that calculus changes if you’re not on a Pixel phone. You’ll still have to wait a while before Android 12 reaches your device, so the choice will depend on your patience and tolerance for bugs.
With that caveat, if you want to get Android 12 early, you can do so now, provided you’re on one of the supported phones. Your experience will vary depending on which phone you’re on, though Pixels have some of the smoothest installs and exits.
We’ll update this page with more once the consumer release starts rolling out to Pixel and other devices.
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