Samsung confirms Android 12L is coming to tablets, such as the Galaxy Tab S8

Ben Schoon | Feb 9 2022 - 8:30 am PT

Android 12L is Google’s next “big” update for the platform, and it’s focused on improving the experience for bigger screens, including foldables and tablets. Alongside the launch of its Galaxy Tab S8 series today, Samsung has officially confirmed that Android 12L is coming to the company’s tablets … eventually.

Android 12L was announced late last year with a handful of improvements for big-screen devices, including a taskbar for faster multitasking and a revamped notifications tray. The launch comes without any first-party hardware to show off on Google’s part, though, which leaves partners to showcase the platform.

Samsung is no stranger to Android 12L itself, as Google confirmed that Android 12L features would be coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 back when the update was first announced.

Speaking to 9to5Google, a Samsung spokesperson has confirmed that the company is “committed” to bringing Android 12L to its tablets but couldn’t offer a timeline for its arrival.

We are in constant conversation with our collaborators at Google and Android, and we’re committed to bringing Android 12L to our tablets in the future. Currently, we do not have a set timeline for when Android 12L will be available on these devices.

This is certainly a pretty obvious move, but it’s the first time Samsung has explicitly confirmed that Android 12L is on the docket for tablets. To be clear, the Galaxy Tab S8 series does not launch with Android 12L, as Google has not yet finalized the update and the only tablet certified to run it in preview is still the Lenovo P12 Pro.

Of course, Samsung’s One UI already offers most of the features Google is building into Android 12L, if not more, but it will certainly be interesting to see what Samsung adopts from the update.