Android 16 will arrive earlier than you expect

Google’s Android 15 launch wasn’t as smooth as expected, which resulted in delayed release and its top flagships launching with a year-old operating system. We are talking about the Google Pixel 9 series here which arrived with Android 14 out of the box, despite the availability of Android 15.

This year, however, Google is moving fast as it has officially confirmed that Android 16 is arriving early. The Pixel maker has released the Android 16 release timeline, revealing that the beta roll out of the OS begins this month.

Android 16 release timeline: What you need to know

According to a release timeline shared by Google, the Android 16 beta update will roll out starting this month. While the first developer preview of the update went live in November, users can expect a beta build to arrive between January and late February.

Google will then work on the platform stability and will launch Android 16 in May at the Google I/O 2025 event. Google’s quicker release schedule means that we can expect the next Google Pixel phones to run on the Android 16 operating system out of the box. Something that it missed doing last year with Android 15.

Upon the OS’ release in May, several manufacturers are expected to launch their phones with Android 16 out of the box. We should likely see phones with Android 16 in late H2 of this year.

Other than Google, expect other brands like OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo to also launch new phones with the latest operating system out of the box. It’s great to see Google’s speedy approach this year.

Everything you need to know about Android 16

Google’s Android 16 is codenamed ‘Baklava’, and it’s said to offer a smoother and flexible experience. This is in regards to the control over apps made by developers. Android 16 allows developers to configure apps according to their needs.

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We recently spotted the predictive back system, which was first spotted as a developer option in Android 13 and is now coming as a default feature in Android 16. The feature lets you preview the destination of the back gesture before you even fully complete the action.

As we move towards the beta stage, we are expected to see more such useful features in the operating system. So, if you are an Android enthusiast, stay tuned to know more about Android 16.