Google revealed today that it will ship something called Android 12L in 2022 that will target tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks.

“Large screens have seen some incredible momentum: a 92 percent year-over-year growth in Chrome OS, making it the fastest-growing desktop OS in the world, a 20 percent growth in [Android] tablet sales in the last year, and a 2.5x growth in foldables sales, the newest and most innovate form factor,” Google vice president Sagar Kamdar explains. “Altogether, those represent over 250 million active large-screen Android devices.”

To target this growing market, Google in 2022 will release a new Android variant called Android 12L—yes, “L” that stands for “large”—that is optimized for larger screens. Available now in Developer Preview, Android 12L will offer more powerful and intuitive multitasking capabilities, better compatibility for apps not tailored for larger displays, and other unique features.

Despite Google’s push for Android apps on Chrome OS, something like Android 12L is inarguably overdue: Google’s previous efforts pretty much left it up to developers to support larger displays; most did not. And Apple’s push to separate iPadOS from iOS proves that two systems are needed, even in an ecosystem in which most developers are compliant.

You can learn more on the Android Developer website.

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