It appears that Google is taking a full-steam ahead approach toAndroid software developmentin a way we’ve never seen before. Out of the blue,the search gianthas just dropped the first Developer Preview build for its upcoming Android 16 release.
“Android will have more frequent releases going forward – with two SDK releases in 2025, as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices,“says Google in a blog post.
5 reasons why I’m enjoying Android 15 more than last year’s Android 14
The Android 15 rollout has finally begun – here are the ways in which Google’s latest OS version outshines its predecessor.
Android 16 is here in an official capacity
This first version of the software update is primarily meant for developers
The major points of interest in this first Android 16 developer preview build appear to be platform-related as opposed to user-facing. A new embedded photo picker with updated APIs, bolstered health record APIs, and updates to Android’s under-the-hoodPrivacy Sandboxare highlighted by the company.
Ifprevious Android Developer Previewsare anything to off of, we can certainly expect more exciting features and interface improvements to land in future builds. This initial preview is mostly here fordevelopers, in order for them to stay up-to-date and to leverage the latest platform technologies for their apps.
According to Google, we can expect the finalized version of Android 16 to reach stability in Q2 of 2025. This would make for a release that’s a full quarter earlier than Google’s standard update cadence that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years.
According to Google, we can expect the finalized version of Android 16 to reach stability in Q2 of 2025.
“We’re planning the major release a quarter earlier (Q2 rather than Q3 in prior years) to better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can get the major release of Android sooner,” says Google.
Google reportedly aims to take on the iPad by merging ChromeOS and Android
Google is reportedly planning to migrate ChromeOS over to Android to create one unified operating system.
Android 15 is still being deployed by OEMs
Android development is accelerating, but not all phone makers are keeping up the brisk pace
Android 15 is still hot off the presses, having only just landed onGoogle Pixel phonesbackin late October. Many handset manufacturers – including Samsung – have yet to even roll out their Android 15 updates to eligible devices.
TheAndroid Open Source Project(AOSP) version of Android 15was actually finalizedat the beginning of September, but it’s taken quite some time for the update to land on devices in the real-world. Samsung is currently in the beta testing stage for itsOne UI 7software skin overlay. We’re also still waiting for equivalent updates fromMotorola,Nothing, and others. OnePlus' OxygenOS 15, meanwhile,landed on deviceson October 24.
The desire to better align major platform releases with hardware product launches is a rather practical one.
While it might seem counter-intuitive for Google to be pressing forward with Android 16 this early, there’s certainly a method to the company’s madness. The desire to better align major platform releases with hardware product launches is a rather practical one. Android development appears to be intensifying in the wake of Google’s (alleged)newfound laptop ambitions, and so streamlining efforts on the software side is likely to be a welcome one.
When is Android 15 coming to non-Pixel phones?
Google’s latest software update has already come to Pixel phones, but you’ll have to wait longer if you use a device from Samsung, OnePlus, and more.
