Skip to main content

With optimized apps, Android tablets will finally be more than big phones

Android tablets have long languished behind the most successful product in the segment – the iPad. One of the most prominent reasons why Android tablets don’t stand a chance against iPads is because of the bad app optimization and UI elements. The devices are mostly blown-up versions of Android phones. But not anymore. Google is rethinking the UI and adding new features that will make Android tablets more competitive with their Apple counterpart.

The Android tablet segment is reaching 270 million active users and it’s about time Google introduced new UI elements to its operating system. Android tablets will now allow you to see more at a glance with dual columns in the notification panel – a feature that was present in my Dell Venue 8 tablet back in 2014. But it will be more refined with refreshing elements.

20+ optimized Google tablet apps on the event screen.
Google

When you open an app, the new Android experience will tag a taskbar at the bottom — much like the Chrome OS — to help make working on the tablet easy with a keyboard. You’ll also be able to run a couple of apps simultaneously and, much like Windows 11, it will save the two windows in the background so you can switch back to the dual-screen setup as and when needed using the recent tabs button.

The company is also making things easier app-wise. You’ll soon be able to do more with Google apps on tablets since it will be updating more than 20 Google apps for tablets and devices with larger screen sizes with more to come. The Android maker is focusing on app optimizations for a better large-screen experience on its OS. For instance, YouTube Music, Google Maps, and Google Messages will have a multi-column view on tablets.

Editors' Recommendations

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
This new Android phone impressed me as soon as I picked it up
A person holding the Oppo Reno10, showing the back of the phone.

I try a lot of smartphones, and I like it when one gives me a good feeling the moment I get it out of the box and start using it. The Oppo Reno 10 managed to do exactly that, with its unusual camera module design, curved screen, and sparkly, yet modern color scheme.

But after playing with the software and taking it out to snap some photos, have I continued to warm to the Reno 10?
Out taking photos with the Reno 10

Read more
Some Android phones are about to get superpowerful AI apps
MediaTek chip illustration on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

You may have already tried a bunch of generative AI apps on your phone. OpenAI’s ChatGPT or HeyPi are some examples of chatty AI apps, while the likes of Runway ML will let you create AI-generated videos right on your phone.

But so far, almost every generative AI app has relied on cloud-based computing, which means all the magical AI processing happens in the cloud, just the way Xbox kits do the heavy lifting at Microsoft server centers when you stream a console game on your phone or tablet.

Read more
Google Pixel Watch 2: rumored price, release date, news, and more
Google Pixel Watch with two different strap styles.

Google is a brand that we all know and either love or hate. Aside from being the company behind many web services, Google has done quite well with its Pixel smartphones — the latest being the Google Pixel 7 family. In 2022, Google also released its first smartwatch, the Google Pixel Watch, though it received mixed reviews overall.

We're expecting Google to release a follow-up to the Pixel Watch sometime this year in the form of the Pixel Watch 2, and hopefully, it will improve upon what was already established with the original.

Read more