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There probably won't be an Android 13L and here's why
- There likely will not be an Android 13L.
- Android 13 is API level 33 and Android 14’s API level appears to be 34.
- Google is likely skipping 13L because the features of 12L are already incorporated into Android 13.
In October 2021, Google launched a semi-surprising point upgrade to Android 12. Launched as Android 12L, the new version of the operating system offered enhanced features for devices with large displays. Tablets and foldable phones, in particular, saw new features and support from 12L.
However, you shouldn’t expect Google to repeat this strategy in 2022. According to Google’s own code, there likely will not be an Android 13L.
Each version of Android has a unique API level. Each level comes from the order in which that Android version was launched. Android 13, for example, is API level 33. According to Mishaal Rahman, Google is already referring to Android 14 as API level 34. This nearly assures that there won’t be an Android launch between 13 and 14.
When you think about it, this makes sense. Google has already confirmed that Android 13 incorporates all the large display features of Android 12L. With that out of the way, Android 13 can simply update those existing features without needing a new point upgrade.
Likewise, these updates would also carry over into Android 14. So Android 13L would seem to be too much effort for very little gain.
We expect Android 13 to become stable in August 2022, and the Pixel 7 series to land with it out-of-the-box in October. Stay tuned!