Android 12: Is your phone compatible?

 

Provided by CNET Recent Google Pixel phones like the Pixel will enjoy an update to Android . Juan GarzonCNET

Android , Google s latest version of its mobile OS, is just around the corner. With it comes one of the biggest overhauls Android has seen in years. In fact, Google expects the software to be the fastest, smoothest and flashiest version yet.

So when can you officially get your hands on that Android goodness? Right now, it s in the late stages of beta development. Although Google has not announced an official release date, we re expecting Android to release in either August or September based on release times of previous versions. 

The big question is whether your phone will actually receive the massive update. At launch, only a select few models will. And to qualify for an upgrade at a later date, each handset must meet the hardware requirements. So if you re eager to enjoy Android on your own phone, you ve come to the right place. Here s everything we know about how that will likely play out.

According to Google, to get the most out of Android a device must qualify as performance class. Specifically, for Android a handset needs a performance class minimum qualification. According to Google, a performance class defines a set of device capabilities that goes beyond Android s baseline requirements.

Performance class won t necessarily exclude performance class devices for running Android , however. Performance class Android phone owners can, in theory, install Android : They just won t see all the OS bells and whistles available. Google has also said it will publish the requirements for performance class when it releases Android .

 

Provided by CNET Google Pixel phones and later will get Android when it launches. Angela LangCNET

 

Perhaps the biggest perk of buying a Google Pixel phone is the promise of timely updates. Google has pledged to provide three years of Android OS updates for each Pixel handset. The clock starts ticking from the moment each device goes up for sale in the Google Store.

 

That means the Pixel and Pixel XL, unveiled in , are the oldest Pixel phones able to get Android . All newer Google handsets also qualify, including the Pixel a, Pixel a XL, Pixel , Pixel XL, Pixel a G and Pixel .

 

Provided by CNET The flagship Samsung Galaxy S will certainly receive an eventual Android update. Sarah TewCNET

 

Details for an Android rollout on Samsung handsets aren t as clear. Android made its way to Samsung phones in December as part of the UI update. The Samsung products currently capable of running UI include the Galaxy S line, the Galaxy S line, the Galaxy Note line, the Z Fold, the Z Flip, and the Note, Fold and S series.

 

Using this timing and precedent as a guide, it s fair to say that we can expect UI along with Android to hit the same premium Galaxy and Note phones in December .

 

Provided by CNET Other high-end phones like the OnePlus Pro will likely get updated to Android too. Andrew HoyleCNET

 

Similar to the beta release of Android , we expect a slew of high-performance handsets to receive Android updates besides Samsung. According to the website GetDroidTips, the tentative list includes devices from LG, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi, Vivo, Sony and Asus.

 

The Android beta program is available to a group of premium phones such as the OnePlus , OnePlus Pro, Asus Zenfone , Oppo Find X Pro and TCL Pro G -- just to name a few.