The arrival of Android 12L brings a new perspective for foldables, but especially for the much maligned Android tablets. Have a Android variant for tablet because it is a very important advance, but which still seems insufficient for certain professional uses.
Apple, a big proponent of the tablet form factor since its first iPad in 2010, has spent several years reinvigorating its tablets and even upgrading its Mac chips to intermediate tablets like the 2022 iPad Air. Software-wise, despite its shortcomings, they offer some features where they are still ahead of Android. In this article we will see what, in our opinion and that of many users, are Shortcomings of Android 12L regarding iPadOS.
ANDROID 12 IS HERE: NEWS AND FEATURES
Fully Optimized Apps
We could save the old phrase here that “making an app for a few devices is not the same as making a few hundred” in defense of iPad apps being more optimized than Android ones. However, It’s not like the developers put in too much effort either.
It is true that in iPadOS there are popular applications like Instagram that are not fully adapted, offering a mobile version encapsulated in iPads. However, and unfortunately, on Android it is all too common to find that each application is from its mother and fatherwithout a clearly defined style, as is perhaps the case in mobile versions.
Professional tools adapted to the tablet format
There is no point in finding tablets with impressive specifications like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra if the right tools are not given afterwards. And it is that in iPadOS it is not only that there are visually adapted applications, it is that there are also functionally adapted.
In fact, it’s an issue that not only pits Android against iPads, but also against Microsoft Surface and other Windows tablets and convertibles. the the catalog of professional applications on Google Play is very limited and while it’s clear that a desk top-like experience isn’t always sought after, it’s worth offering powerful tools that adapt to a touch interface.
Years of updates, a regret for years
This comparative offense between an Android mobile and an iOS mobile also extends to the field of tablets. It is true that in recent years, both in mobile phones and in tablets, manufacturers offering more and more years of support. However, it’s also not something generalized and by no means enough to match the iPad.
In the case of iPadOS, we can see that there are devices like the iPad Air 2 that are already on the way. eighth year of updates. It’s too early to judge the new Android tablet variant in this regard, as beyond the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, few others are confirmed.
We’ll have to see how many more years of tablet support updated to Android 12L support, but if we take mobile phones as benchmarks, we may have a hunch they won’t up to what iPadOS offers. However, there is good news In this sense, if we also remember that manufacturers promise more and more years of support for their smartphones, something that we hope will end up being comparable to tablets.
Performance of accessories such as trackpads and keyboards
Apple was slow to fully integrate mice and trackpads into its iPads, but when it did, it incorporated an interesting gesture shortcuts. Whether it’s opening Control Center, switching apps, or other actions, iPadOS offers versatility at this point.
In Android, compatibility with trackpads and mice came before, but in the end it’s light years away in terms of functionality of this type. At least natively. Knowing the good work of this system for personalization, we find it less interesting to be able to configure multitouch gestures for the trackpads or additional functions for the mice.
And with regard to the keyboards as such, it is true that their main functionality is to allow us to write quickly and that both systems comply with it. However, the Keyboard shortcuts of iPadOS adapts perfectly depending on the application in which we find ourselves, finding additional functions beyond the classic cntr-c and cntrl-v to copy and paste. In Android, we don’t find anything similar beyond these typical shortcuts.
Android 12L gives hope to Android tablets for the future, but not only Google will have to pamper them, but also app developers.
In conclusion, Android is a system that has matured a lot in recent years, to the point of completely forgetting that the iPhone was 4-5 years ahead. Today, deciding to buy a smartphone from Apple or an Android manufacturer will not involve major sacrifices. However, in the area of tablets, we see how the the software is blocked, despite the excellent material available. For this reason, Android 12L offers hope for better integration and a promising future. However, it will also depend on the developers who pamper the system.
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