Google has recently released Android 15 for Pixel devices just a few weeks ago. This year Pixel devices were released with older Android versions, however, users can see the new version in the next 15 days. According to recent speculations, it seems that next year’s big update could arrive a little sooner than expected.
Every year, Google successfully launches a new version of Android. It may be planning to release the Android 16 in quarter 2 of 2025.
This is very unusual for the tech giant, as according to its history of Android version releases, it usually launches either in September or October. Although the exact dates are not fixed every year, the releases typically happen in a fairly predictable yearly cycle.
When it comes to launching new features and APIs, Google takes a lot of time to plan, execute, and test them. The key reason for early release and for Google to break its 15-year-long alphabetical OS code-naming pattern might be the adoption of a trunk-based Android development model. Rather than establishing separate development branches for major releases, Google uses a trunk-based development model. This approach lets developers collaborate on a single, unified branch, which could speed up the release process.
Even though the reports are still not confirmed yet, if Google is planning to release Android 16 in Q2, it would be a pleasant surprise. An earlier release would at least make sure that next year’s Pixel phones won’t launch with last year’s Android version. Unlike the Google Pixel 9 series, which came with Android 14 instead of Android 15.
