Android 15 hasn’t even been released to all smartphones yet, and we’re already talking about Android 16. Usually, it doesn’t take long between the release of the latest version and the first developer preview on the servers. For the past few years, the initial developer preview versions of Android have hit the servers in February of the year the software was scheduled to launch. But this year, Google started even earlier. The first developer preview was released in November, and now the second is available for developers to code their apps. This also means that the public beta will be released early in the new year.
For now, Android 16 offers a minimum of new features compared to previous versions. Built-in cloud search will appear in the photo selector app, so you can easily create a year in review on Instagram from accounts outside your device without switching between apps. The Health Connect feature will be improved so you can log your activity intensity across all fitness apps. Android 16 also supports devices with the rapidly evolving 802.11az standard, with additional security enhancements. These are all pretty standard platform improvements.
I am still trying to identify the main “feature” of Android 16. What does it offer me as a user? Under the hood, Google lists richer haptic information, better system profiling management, and a more adaptive refresh rate. Sure, this will make Android’s flagship phones soar a little higher than they already do, but it won’t exactly move the platform’s innovation forward.
The Android development team seems to be focused on fixing what’s under the hood before the first public beta is released early next year. For example, this latest developer preview removes some old accessibility codes that are getting in the way of the user experience.
Anyway, I’m not complaining. I’m trying to find joy in something that doesn’t affect me yet. The developer preview allows developers to fine-tune their apps for the next operating system, as the platform has always struggled to achieve parity between different brands. Hopefully, Google’s early call to action will speed up the transition to the 2025 update.
At the very least, we’ll get a public beta of Android 16 earlier than usual – well before Google’s annual developer conference. The current schedule offered on the Android developer site suggests that we should expect the beta as early as January 2025, with the final version coming sometime after April 2025. That’s when Google I/O usually takes place, which means we’ll get Android 16 before the developer conference in the spring. That’s a full three to four months earlier than is usually expected. That’s great!
If you want to try out the developer preview now, you can sign up and flash it on a compatible Pixel device.
