Although we are still waiting for Android 15, some surprising news about Android 16 is coming out. The expected version of the operating system seems to be released much earlier than usual.
Android 16 will be released in April, May or June of 2025
Android 15 isn’t even out yet and the Android world is already working on the next version. Because unlike this year – in which Google is taking a long time with Android 15 – Android 16 will arrive much earlier than normal next year: as early as the second quarter of 2025.
This is evident from various documents about Android 15 for developers. The public source code also contains several references to major changes in “25Q2” and “25Q2/Android W”. Android W is most likely the internal name of Android 16, as Android V (Vanilla Ice Cream) meant Android 15. The W comes after the V in the alphabet and thus indicates the next version. Android 16 has also been codenamed ‘Baklava’.
Google usually launches a new Android version around August, September or October and is relatively late this year with Android 15: that version is expected to appear on Pixel smartphones on October 15. This means that the software is too late for Google’s new smartphones. They were launched remarkably early this year: August instead of October.
If Google launches Android 16 in the second quarter of 2025, the software will be well in time for the next Google smartphones: the Pixel 10 series. There is criticism surrounding the Pixel 9 series due to its update policy. The smartphones will receive seven major Android upgrades, just like their predecessors, but Android 15 counts as the first. Ultimately, they therefore receive as many upgrades as the Pixel 8 series.
Android 15 will appear first on Google Pixels
Like every year, the latest Android update is first released for Google’s own Pixel phones. If you have a Pixel 6 or newer, you can update to Android 15 later this month.
For the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Android 15 is likely the last major Android upgrade. The smartphones are now three years old, but will continue to receive security patches for a while. Newer devices – such as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 – benefit from a much better update policy, ensuring they will be provided with the latest features for years to come.
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Source: www.androidplanet.nl
