With Google expected to release a new version of Android once every year, it seems Android 16 could hit the shelves sooner than expected, with Android 15 just around the corner. Based on recent releases, Google often drops a new OS between August and November but this could change.
As Android 15 draws closer to the final release window, with it expected to start rolling out to supported Google Pixel devices on October 15, Google seems to already be planning for version 16 which might come out during the second quarter of next year between April and June.
If this happens, it will be considered a significant shift in strategy though how it impacts users and their current devices is yet to be seen given how quickly companies continue to release new phones every month with little done for most devices when it comes to continuous OS and software updates and support.
However, this should not be a surprise since Google this year switched up its hardware announcement from the usual October to August, hence launching its new Pixels with Android 14 instead of Android 15 since it wasn’t ready.
If Android 16 arrives by the end of June next year, and Google sticks with August for its next hardware reveal, then the Pixel 10 series will have no problem running Android 16 out of the box.
Android 16 could come sooner than expected
The news regarding Android 16’s release in Q2 comes from a deep dive in Google’s Compatibility Definition Document for Android 15 for developers, as well as several patches to the Android Open Source Project, which all reference big changes being pushed to “25Q2” or “25Q2/Android W”.
W is the letter of the alphabet that’s after V and Android 15 was codenamed Vanilla Ice Cream, so clearly W is Android 16 (that said, Google has decided to skip a few letters and codename it baklava recently).
Of course, these are just hints, and nothing is set in stone just yet. Even if it was, things could still change – both Android 15 and Android 14 saw delayed releases due to last-minute issues, so that may happen to Android 16 as well. But with a release in Q2, it would at least one up Apple’s yearly iOS outing, for what that’s worth.
Android 16 is anticipated to be released in 2025, following the typical pattern of Android updates being released in the fall.
