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The Android 16 release date could be sooner than you think

Google is reportedly pushing its next big Android update in early 2025, which could see a new OS arrive on your phone within months.

Custom image for iPhone 16 launch report story with a phone running Android 15 on one side of the screen and the Android logo on the other

If you thought you’d be waiting until this time next year for Android 16, think again. Google pushes out a new version of Android once per year, and while the launch date isn’t always the same, it’s quite consistent. We’ve seen each new version of Android land in August, September, or October without fail since 2014. However, all that could be about to change.

 

According to a report from Android Authority, Google is planning to launch Android 16 much earlier than anticipated, possibly as soon as Spring 2025. That’d mean a shiny new operating system and potentially some fresh features for more than half of the entries in our guide to the best gaming phones, as well as the stellar new Google Pixel 9 Pro XL you can check out below.

The important thing to note is that Google has streamlined its process, and now it’s quicker to implement changes without breaking things. Hence, the brand can deliver new versions of its OS and fresh features ahead of schedule. It should also mean that the tech giant can quickly address any bugs or issues without the long waiting times we’ve seen in the past.

The report mentions the internal naming conventions that Google uses for its Android version releases. They’re simpler than you might expect, referring to the projects as their planned launch date. For example, Google internally used 24Q4 as Android 15’s codename, an update we saw launch in the fourth quarter of 2024. Google is currently referring to the next update as 25Q2. That suggests that Google is pushing for an Android 16 release in April, May, or June of next year, which is months ahead of the usual schedule.

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At this stage, the reasoning behind the change is unclear. Still, it’s fair to speculate that it might be Google trying to offer a new Android version earlier in the year than Apple’s annual iOS overhaul, as the two updates often arrive around the same time at the end of Q2. Whatever the case, it sounds like the next big Android update should arrive well ahead of Google’s Pixel 10 series phones, which could make for stiff competition to some of the already fantastic picks on our comprehensive list of the best Android phones.