Episode 8

The past, present, and future of Android tablets

Published on: 11th March, 2022

On this week's episode, we go full Christmas Carol on the evolution of Android tablets, focusing on how Google gave them a special treatment with version 3.0 Honeycomb, then undoing all of that shortly after before finally giving them another look in the past couple of years thanks to the rise of foldable phones in the consumer space. J.R. Raphael, author of the Android Intelligence newsletter, joins us.

  • 02:26 - How did Honeycomb come about and what was it like?
  • 09:19 - Why did Android for tablets die?
  • 16:18 - Why is Google interested in optimizing Android for larger screens again?
  • 22:54 - Why not leave all this to the OEMs?
  • 30:38 - What's there to look forward to in Android 12L and 13?
  • 37:32 - Is Google making a convergence play between PCs, Chrome OS, and Android?
  • 44:04 - How does Esper adapt to the future of Android tablets?

Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper.

Esper enables next-gen device management for company-owned and managed tablets, kiosks, smart phones, IoT edge devices, and more.

For more about Esper:

Our music is "19" by HOME and is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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About the Podcast

Android Bytes (powered by Esper)
A weekly show that dives deep into the Android OS
Android Bytes (powered by Esper) is the podcast that dives deep into the engineering and business decisions behind the world’s most popular OS. https://www.esper.io

Android powers over 3 billion devices worldwide and is the platform of choice for over a thousand companies. You’ll find Android on smartphones, tablets, watches, TV, cars, kiosks, and so much more. How does Google architect Android to run on so many form factors, and how do companies fork AOSP to make it run on even more devices? These are the kinds of questions the Android Bytes podcast considers each week.

Join cohosts Mishaal Rahman and David Ruddock, two journalists with extensive knowledge covering the Android OS platform and ecosystem, as they speak to system architects, kernel engineers, app developers, and other distinguished experts in the Android space.

Get in touch with us at Esper.io if you’re looking to use Android for your product — we have the experience you need.

About your hosts

David Ruddock

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David is the Editor in Chief of Esper, and cohosts Android Bytes. David spent over 10 years as the Editor in Chief of Android Police, where he reviewed more phones than he'd care to admit, broke dozens of exclusive mobile industry stories (and also, phones), and ran one of the web's most vibrant Android communities.

Mishaal Rahman

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Mishaal is the Senior Technical Editor at Esper.io and a cohost of the Android Bytes podcast. At his previous role as Editor-in-Chief at XDA-Developers, Mishaal was at the forefront of Android tech journalism, breaking story after story on new OS features and platform changes.