Google presented their brand new UI for tablets alongside the release of Android 3.0 Honeycomb back in early 2011. It was widely used on many devices with Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean 4.1, at which point Google finally decided to end this project. The UI was replaced by the Phablet layout in Android 4.2. This Phablet UI is basically the phone layout stretched to match the tablet size.
Google went even further and removed the Tablet UI from source code in Android 4.4, so it’s very difficult to bring it back even by modifying the code. However, XDA Forum Member Exalm gives us an easy opportunity to get the Tablet UI back on your device. This modification comes in the form of an Xposed Framework module that works with the vast majority of AOSP-based ROMs. But due to some changes in the code, this module doesn’t work well with OmniROM and CyanogenMod.
In the current form, this module offers a fully working System Bar, Notification and Quick Settings Pop Up, IME switcher, as well as fully supported Immersive mode and transparency.
For some of you, the Tablet UI might simply be more functional and space efficient than the Phablet layout. If you want to bring back tablet UI layout to your AOSP-based tablet, go to the Tablet UI Xposed module thread give this piece of development a shot.
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