Google Android TV 13 to Feature Low Power Standby Mode

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 16 April 2022, 11:04 am

Google is expected to drop a new version of Android TV as the tech company will also release another operating system based on it.

In 2021, Google released Android TV 12 just a month after Android 12 made its way to Google Pixel phones.

While the tech company is yet to announce Android TV 13, two significant changes have been detailed: low power standby mode and picture-in-picture support.

Google Android TV 13 Features

Android TV already supports picture-in-picture mode, with the device's aspect ratio defaulting to 1.777778.1, which is ideal for displaying 16:9 content, according to Android Police.

The developers can create PiP windows with an aspect ratio less than 1:2:39 or greater than 2:39:1 if required.

According to Esper's Mishaal Rahman, Google will further enhance the feature in Android TV 13 by allowing the developers to create PiP windows smaller or greater than this aspect ratio.

Also Read: Android Phone: How to Wirelessly Mirror it to Your TV

Also, a new Activity method in Android 13 points to users being able to dock the PiP box together with the main activity so that both windows are obvious to the user.

Android 13 also has a new low-power standby mode meant for Android TVs. The feature will disable wakelocks and restrict apps from accessing the network when it is active, according to XDA Developers.

This will be a very helpful addition because apps do not need to access the internet or create unnecessary wakelocks when the TV is off or in the standby state.

It should also lead to a reduction in bandwidth usage, and it will lower the energy consumption of your smart TV. These restrictions will be temporarily removed during doze windows, ensuring that apps do not completely break when it is in this mode.

If Google sticks to the same timeline as 2021, the public can expect Android TV 13 to be announced in November. Most TV makers take time to roll out a new build of Android TV, so expect to wait a couple more months before you can try these new features.

Google Android TV 12 Launch

According to 9to5Mac, Android 12 is one of the company's most meaningful updates in a while, but despite the early start, it has not shown up on any Google devices.

Google has confirmed that Android TV 12 will be available on devices in 2022.

The Google blog post, which Medium published, recaps what is new in Android TV 12, including 4K UI rendering, text scaling, and refresh rate switching too.

Towards the end of the blog post, Google revealed two new bits of information.

Firstly, Google's dedicated developer device, the ADT-3, can now download Android 12 through an OTA instead of manually flashing the update.

Secondly, is that Android TV 12 is on its way to a formal release. While no specifics are mentioned, Google said that Android TV 12 would start appearing on TVs in 2022.

Android TV 12 will have camera and microphone blocking, a home screen in 4K, a microphone indicator, a quick connect feature, new boot animation, etc.

In 2021, Google added a multi-user feature on Android TV.

In January, Android TV 11 for Shield TV was released.