Google made Android 12 available in final form on October 19, 2021 — the same day it announced the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro — after nearly six months of betas. The mobile operating system received a dramatic visual overhaul, the biggest since adopting Material Design way back in 2014. The company also made sure to introduce a wide range of new user-facing features and less-obvious-but-still-important changes that make the release a significant upgrade compared to previous generations. While we’ve had a chance to peek at these features over the course of the beta program, now we have the stable version. This is Android Authority‘s Android 12 review.
For the moment, Android 12 is only available to Google Pixel phones. The 2018-era Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are the oldest devices compatible with Android 12. If you own a Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, or Pixel 5a you can download the new version. Android 12 also ships preinstalled on the Pixel 6 devices. While some phones from manufacturers including Asus, OnePlus, and Samsung participated in the beta program, it’s not yet clear exactly when those devices will receive Android 12 from their respective OEMs.