Google released the first developer beta of Android 13, codenamed Tiramisu. Among the new features arriving, two in particular have attracted the attention of enthusiasts: the ability to view and interact with smartphone apps on Chromebooks (what are they?) or on computers and new virtualization tools, thanks to which a developer has already managed to run Windows and Linux desktops on a Pixel 6 (here our proof).
Su Android e iPhone
News for WhatsApp voices: you can also listen to them outside the chats
by Emanuele Capone
Streaming apps
The new feature that allows you to view apps on a computer without installing them was already announced by Google at Ces 2022 in Las Vegas: according to the company’s indications, however, it should have only arrived on Chromebooks. Instead, two new service applications for the connection between devices present on the first beta of Android 13 also work on PC: as demonstrated by the tests conducted by 9to5Google, you can connect any app to a dedicated interactive window on a Windows PC. The function is particularly useful for always having under control the messaging apps installed on the smartphone, without the need for Web versions or additional installations.
From a technical point of view, what happens is a real wireless streaming of the application: when you activate this function, Android creates an additional virtual display which is sent to the pc for mirroring. In other words, it means that while the function is active you can continue to use the main screen of the device normally with other apps. On the PC, the screen is displayed via a dedicated Web-app, from which it is possible launch any application installed on the phonenot just those of chat as anticipated by Google.
Curiously, the web-app for streaming applications on a pc Windows has more advanced features than Chrome Os: On the Chromebook operating system, the integration is native, but the system limits streaming to messaging apps and notifications.
Retrotech
Goodbye BlackBerry, the time of the end has come for the ancestors of smartphones
by Andrea Nepori
Windows and Android
On Android 13, Google engineers have also improved the virtualization of other operating systems. The new features they are powerful and refined enough to allow installation and operation of Window 11 and some Linux distributions for the desktop.
The developer Danny Lin ventured into the enterprise, and managed to run Redmond’s operating system on a Pixel 6 running Android 13 Beta. The performances are not excellent, but according to the developer the system would be “usable”.
Lin’s proof of concept will in all likelihood remain just a divertissement for geeks to demonstrate the flexibility of Android, because Google has no intention of enabling or making it easy to install other operating systems on his smartphones. The improvements to the virtualization functions are instead linked to the need to better manage some security aspects of the software and digital copyright systems.
When is Android 13 coming?
As of today, Android 13 is only available in beta for developers. According to the official Google calendar, the distribution of a stable version of the system is planned for August 2022. From then on, the release of dedicated updates on other companies’ smartphones will depend on the development times of each manufacturer.