Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 rolls out and gives us some unexpected insights

Following the stable release of Android 13, Google will continue the Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs) to update the platform with fixes and improvements on a quarterly basis, much like it did for Android 12. Unlike developer previews and betas, the QPR builds are safe for general use and include “the next round of bug fixes and improvements to stability and performance,” as well as user-facing features that are normally rolled out to Pixel devices as part of Feature Drops. Beta 1 (builds T1B1.220819.006 and T1B1.220819.007 on the Pixel 6a) resolves the following issues:

Developer-reported issues
• Fixed an issue for some devices that mistakenly caused a user’s emergency contact to be dialed from the lock screen when the device was in their pocket. (Issue #233159557)

Other resolved issues
• Fixed various issues for Pixel 6a devices that made it difficult for users to unlock their device or to set up Fingerprint Unlock.
• Fixed an issue that caused the system UI to crash in certain cases, such as gesturing from the edge of the screen to go back.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the 5G icon to be displayed instead of the 5G UW icon, even when the affected device was already successfully connected to a 5G UW network.

Source: Android Developers

As far as new features and/or tweaks that have been spotted on this beta since it started its rollout yesterday, below are the most notable ones:

First signs of Spatial Audio

The Pixel Buds Pro launched with the promise of gaining Spatial Audio in a feature update. Although to date we have seen a couple of firmware updates on the buds, there has been no sign of Spatial Audio being enabled – until now. The setting to turn this feature on now show up in Settings > Sound and vibration, which has an option to turn spatial audio on for wired headphones. There is also an option to turn on the feature for bluetooth headphones under the individual device’s settings.

Although 9to5Google states that the feature isn’t truly working because the Android apps have to be updated, I wanted to try this myself using the Pixel Buds Pro and the Hulu app on my Pixel. I’m no expert on audio, but I could tell there was a significant change in quality when I had the feature on, and even noticed some “surround sound” of waves crashing and the wind blowing while watching the show “Alone,” which I happen to be obsessed with lately. Now, like I said, I’m not very knowledgeable on this and I’m just going off what my ears are telling me, so I could be completely off.

Quick Settings tile animations

Several of the Quick Settings tiles, such as “Do not disturb” and “Battery Saver” now feature a neat animation with their icons. It’s a minor update, but a nice touch.

https://twitter.com/theothertruetom/status/1567981079012806658

Confirmation of a dockable Pixel tablet

From the moment the upcoming Pixel tablet was teased at I/O earlier this year, rumors have been floating around about the possibility of this tablet functioning more like a Nest Hub. In an APK teardown by 9to5Google, animations of how this will work were spotted.

More details on Face Unlock for Pixel 6 Pro

Morsels of evidence have been found pointing to the Pixel 6 Pro gaining Face Unlock for months now. However, since the Pixel 6 Pro lacks the hardware necessary for Face Unlock to work the same way it did on the Pixel 4, the plan is that a less-secure form of this feature would be available by using the front-facing camera. Unfortunately, we have all been waiting for this feature to appear with the release of every feature drop, but no signs of it thus far until now.

In another APK teardown by 9to5Google, several strings were found describing how the feature is supposed to work. These strings describe the capabilities of the feature by stating things like “Face Unlock works best when there’s enough light and you’re not wearing a mask or dark glasses” and “If you normally wear eyeglasses, you can wear them during setup.”

Additionally, as seen below, an animation was found illustrating how to set it up, prompting the user to “hold your phone at eye level” to start the scanning process.

Three betas of Android 13 QPR1 are planned, with a stable release expected in December. If you are interested in participating, Beta 1 can be installed over-the-air on the Pixels 4a, 4a (5G), 5, 5a, 6, 6 Pro, and 6a by enrolling your device on the Android Beta for Pixel program. Once enrolled, after a few minutes, you will be able to update by going to Settings > System > System update > Check for update.