Android 12 could be launched on October 4th

Google released the Android 12 Beta 5 Update last week, it is the release candidate version of the mobile operating system. But it appears that the stable version is not far away. A screenshot of an internal Google document shared by XDA's Mishaal Rahman hints that Android 12 could be released on October 4th.

When Google unveils a new version of Android, it releases the source code to the Android Open Source Project, AOSP. This has how it has been for previous versions of the firmware. For example, the Android 11 AOSP source code was made available on September 8th, on the same day the Mountain View company announced the iteration of the OS.

Google's developer blog has a road map leading up to the final release, and though it doesn't mention the actual date, it does confirm that it will be available to AOSP. Coming back to the first image featured above, it says that Android 12 will be pushed to AOSP on the 4th of October, which means that's when the operating system, rumored to be internally code named Snow Cone, will make its debut. As per tradition, Google is expected to roll out the new version for its own phones, so the stable Android 12 update will be rolled out to Pixel phones on October 4th.

If you want to try Android 12 right now, you may opt into the beta program, and once the stable version is released, you'll get it on your phone once the stable firmware is seeded. The beta version is available for Pixel 3 and above, and OEM devices like the ASUS Zenfone 8, OnePlus 9/9 Pro, Oppo Find X3 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 11/Mi 11 Ultra/Mi 11i/Mi 11x Pro, ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G to name a few.

The biggest change in Android 12 is Material You, a new UI design language for the OS and apps which focuses on customization and colors. Improved Quick Settings, Notification Shade, App Search, are just some of the additions that the new version will bring to the table. Google has taken a leaf out of Apple's book with the upcoming Privacy Dashboard feature, to indicate when apps access your phone's camera, mic, or location data. If you want something like this on your phone right now, give the Privacy Dashboard app a shot. The open source app is compatible with devices running on Android 7 and above.

Will the Google Pixel 6 be announced on October 4th?

Google had confirmed about a month ago, that its Pixel 6 series phones will be powered by an in-house processor, the Google Tensor. The new devices are set to debut this fall, but an official launch date for the devices has not been confirmed by the company.

The Google Pixel and Pixel were launched on October 4th of 2016 alongside Android Nougat. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL debuted on October 4th, 2017.  The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were released on October 9, 2018, and the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL were unveiled on October 15, 2019. Google broke the October-launch pattern by announcing the Pixel 5 on September 30, 2020

. Now, what's more interesting here is that the Pixel phones (except the 1st gen) have always been launched about a month after the latest Android version has been released. So, we wouldn't be surprised if the Pixel 6 arrives in late October.

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