“Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1” brings a new level of complexity to Android betas

Android is going to have a busy month and this is likely the new normal going forward. So listen. On Monday, Android 12L beta moved out of beta and launched as a new stable build of Android, with some version lines calling it “Android 12.1”. Today, Google is launching another beta version of Android with the flowing name “Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 “. We’re also expecting a second Android 13 developer preview any day now. These are the three current releases of Android, all existing at the same time and giving different perspectives on the future.

Did you know that Chrome has three release channels: Stable, Beta, and Development? Android seems to be doing this now.

Android usually releases a major release around October every year. Behind the scenes, “Platform Releases Quarterly (QPR)”are also being promoted, which usually don’t get much promotion, although Google has begun promoting these releases to Pixel users, calling them “Pixel Feature Drops”. This year, Android 12L is a special mid-cycle release focused on tablets, but it’s also an improved Q2 platform release of Android 12. Given the new API level and tablet changes, we can see why 12L will have a three-month beta. But now Google is immediately launching Quarterly Platform Release 3 Beta 1, even though it doesn’t feature the drastic 12L style changes.

If you’re wondering what’s new in Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1, the answer isn’t likely to be very interesting. Google has a set of release notes on developer.android.com and they are pretty barren. Google says, “While these updates do not include API changes that affect the app, we provide images of the latest QPR betas so you can test your app with these builds as needed.”The notes say this is the first “Feature Release June 2022″beta for pixels, but that’s a little misleading. Pixel Feature Drops are always proprietary updates to Google apps and you won’t beta test them. You’re beta testing hidden Android platform changes that will probably just fix a few bugs.

As far as QPR3 Beta 1 devices are supported, these are regular Pixel phones, with one notable exception. If you have a Pixel 6, 5, 5a, 4, or 4a you can install the update, but the Pixel 3a looks like it’s reached the end of the line. Google ‘s official support page states that support for the Pixel 3a ends in May 2022, which means there’s no June 2022 update.

How does is called?

“Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1″is a permanent entry in the “Google is bad at branding”collection. Google doesn’t seem to agree on the titles of these quarterly releases, and the Android 12L branding is also an atrocity. Google calls it “12L”in blog posts, “Android 12.1″on the factory image page, and “Android 12″on the “about phone”screen. The new beta would be much easier to understand if Android 12L were generically referred to as “Android 12.1”. Then we could call today’s release “Android 12.2 Beta 1”.

We can only speculate why Google isn’t doing this, but we’re guessing it has to do with Android’s root of all evil: OEM updates. If a Samsung phone says “Android 12″and a Google phone says “Android 12.2”, it will probably upset Samsung and users will probably complain. By calling every release of Android 12 simply “Android 12,”the legendary inability of Android hardware manufacturers to provide timely updates won’t be emphasized as much.

If you’re wondering when the Android version of Chrome’s “Canary”nightly builds is coming out, they already exist. These are so-called “test”builds, and are intended for Google employees only.