Android TV 12 is due for arrival later this year according to Google. App developers have been toying with an early version of it since late last year. However now, thanks to a blog post that was discovered by FlatpanelsHD, we have a little it more information on what the new version will offer.
While the rough details of the new operating system were already known, the blog post went into further detail about what users can expect.
Android TV 12 will support variable refresh rates. As Senior Developer Relations Engineer for Google, Paul Lammertsma states “Refresh rate switching allows apps to instruct TV panels to switch between different frequencies, such as multiples of 24, 25 and 30Hz.”
“If your video content was for instance created at 24 fps, then your app can ensure smoother playback while simultaneously allowing for fluid UI animations by switching to 48Hz or 120Hz on supported panels.”
“Some panels support HDMI 2.1 VRR for seamless refresh rate transitions without any visual interruptions (like showing a black screen for a few seconds), and Android can inform you of these through getAlternativeRefreshRates().
The blog post goes into further detail on exactly how developers should go about enabling it.
Other features include new menu for accessibility options, allowing users to change the size of on-screen text and subtitles.
Credit: Google
While there is no news on which TV’s will ship with Android TV 12, we know for sure that Google and Android devices from the 2022 range for Sony, TCL and Phillips will be running 10 or 11.
Furthermore, while Google have announced that Android TV 12 is due to arrive “later this year”, we have no concrete date. It is worth noting that Android TV 12 was originally due for release “early this year” but was pushed back.
Eventually, Android TV 12 will come to streaming devices such as the Google Chromecast, although there is no information on when that will be.
