Google has approved the final version of Android 13 and is now rolling it out to smartphones, though with one major caveat: you can only get it if you have a Pixel phone. This makes a certain amount of sense given that the search giant makes both Pixel phones and the Android operating system. It also marks an early launch for the annual OS update, as both Android 11 and Android 12 rolled out during September and October of their respective years. As for new features, Android 13 has got you covered. This latest iteration brings more nuanced and customizable privacy controls, a new photo-selection app, support for Bluetooth LE audio, support for head-tracking spatial audio, and more. There’s also the company’s Material You theme generator, which significantly amps up the customization options to allow for an extremely personalized aesthetic experience. This software even updates themes to include third-party apps and icons. Android 13 even allows you to set multiple preferred languages across your device. In other words, your settings app can be in one language, while other apps will be in another. Customization is the name of the game here. Google’s blog post does not indicate which Pixel phones are getting Android 13 first, but beta versions have been available for models from the Pixel 4 to the recently released Pixel 6A. As for other Android-equipped smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup, the company says they will receive the new OS “later this year.”
