Android 13 released for supported Pixel phones

Google claims the latest Android version has improved appearance and style

Android 13, the latest version of the world's most popular mobile operating system, has been released for Google's Pixel phone.

Updates for supported Pixel devices (Pixel 4 and higher) began rolling out on Monday, and the company said that the devices from Samsung, Asus, Motorola, Sony, Xiaomi and more are all slated to get the new version later this year.

The annual Android update is happening a little earlier this year: Android 12 was released in October last year, and Android 11 came out in September 2020.

"Android 13 helps ensure your devices feel unique to you - on your terms. It comes jam-packed with new capabilities for your phone and tablet, like extending app colour theming to even more apps, language settings that can be set on an app level, improved privacy controls and even the ability to copy text and media from one Android device and paste it to another with just a click," Google's Sameer Samat said in a blog post.

Google claims that Android 13 has an improved appearance and style that builds on Material You.

Users can personalise non-Google apps to match the theme and colours of their phone's wallpaper, giving their home screen a unique look specific to their taste.

With Android 13, Google claims users can better control how and where they utilise spoken languages. For example, they may assign certain languages to individual apps, enabling them to have their phone's operating system in one language with each app using a separate language.

Additionally, bedtime mode will now allow for greater levels of customisation, including the ability to dim wallpaper and switch to a dark theme.

The media player has been upgraded, and can change its appearance and behaviour depending on the music or podcast played. As the user listens to music, for instance, the media player highlights album art and features a playback bar that moves as the song progresses.

On privacy, apps won't be granted access to the phone's complete media library in Android 13 just to share one file. And if the user copies sensitive information like an email address, phone number or login information, the clipboard history is cleared after a period of time.

Android 13 will support spatial audio. This feature is intended to make sounds seem to be emanating from a fixed point in space when you move your head while wearing compatible headphones. While Google did not specify which specific headphones the feature would work with, it had previously stated that it will be upgrading its Pixel Buds Pro to include spatial audio capabilities.

Some other improvements in Android 13 include drag-and-drop multitasking support for large-screen devices, Bluetooth Low Energy support for better sound quality at lower bitrates and reduced latency, and enhanced palm rejection when using styluses.