Android 13 is currently in beta testing and the final stable version of the OS could be ready for release in July or August. However, a Pixel 4 owner recently accidentally received the Android 13 update on June 23, weeks in advance. The version number was TP1A.220603.002.A1.
We know what you’re thinking. The guy probably had his Pixel 4 signed up for the Android 13 Beta for Pixel program and installed it, but that’s not the case. The phone was never signed up for the Android 13 Beta program. When the user received a notification of an update to Android 13, he only realized what the notification was for after downloading and installing.
What the Pixel 4 owner did realize was that Google Pay was not working after installing the update. Even trying to reinstall the app using the Google Pay APK installer package was useless, as was the factory reset. One theory that seems plausible is that the version of Android 13 that this Pixel 4 owner received was a special beta variant that Google distributes to employees who accidentally became available to at least one user.
The About Phone screen on a Pixel 4 shows that the device was accidentally updated to Android 13
In Android 13, users can set a language for a particular app that is different from the main language of the phone. The new photo picker allows a user to share certain photos with an app without giving that app open access to the entire photo library. And Android 13 supports Bluetooth LE audio; this allows high-quality music to be delivered without taking a huge bite out of the handset’s battery life.
The Pixel models that will receive the Android 13 update this year are the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro.