Google has been releasing every version of Android for a year. In most cases, these happen in either the third or fourth quarter of the year. Can we see Android 15's successor soon?

Recent rumors, however, suggest that the tech giant may well change its annual routine to release Android 16 as early as in the second quarter of 2025. That would be a major deviation from its usual run of the Android release cycle.

Google's Traditional Android Release Schedule

Google Might Release Android 16 Sooner Than Expected

Major Android updates historically tended to land in August, September, or October. Android 15 was released last month, while Android 14 was released in early October last year. And Android 13 was launched back in August of 2022. So you have to go back to 2012 for the first time that an Android version was launched outside this window: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean appeared on sale.

According to Android Authority, Android typically receives an annual refresh. Google usually takes its time to plan, test, and finalize features and APIs in new editions. If some of these features have not ripened yet, the software maker releases them in the following update. However, recent changes suggest that the Android development process might be picking up pace.

Read Also: Android 15 Beta 3 Released, Achieves Platform Stability Milestone

A Much Earlier Release For Android 16

One of the big reasons this Android 16 early launch may likely occur is Google's recent switch to trunk-based development. Google implemented the trunk stable project earlier this year, which consists of a unified main development branch and employs feature flagging to control what features and APIs go live in each build. This streamlined updating process is faster, and it may be the reason Android 16 may arrive in Q2 2025.

It enables Google to release updates much more rapidly than before. Perhaps this is why Google is pushing up the release of Android 16 faster than it can, according to the confidence in the newly developed system shown by the company.

Hints That '25Q2' Release is Coming Soon

Some hints have already pointed out that the first official version of Android 16 will come in Q2 2025.

Several hints point towards an earlier release for Android 16. Reviewing the Compatibility Definition Document for Android 15, I noticed that "25Q2" was mentioned. Typically, we would expect the next Android version to launch in Q3, but here are mentions of "25Q2", indicating a launch in the second quarter of 2025.

This is not the first time Google has alluded to quarters to mark Android releases. For example, Android 14 QPR2 used 24Q1 as its internal label, and Android 15 used 24Q3. Thus, "25Q2" could be Android 16, placing the update between April and June 2025.

AOSP Patches Serve As Further Evidence

Developers have also found more leads inside AOSP patches. Several patches suggest that some API changes would be available only in the "25Q2 window," once again hinting that 25Q2 would be Android 16. These changes make no sense in any quarterly platform release like Android 15 QPR3 since Google does not add new APIs in QPRs to provide stability to developers at their end.

In addition, the internal references of Google concerning SDK version bumps also indicate that the next major release—primarily Android 16—will be during 25Q2.

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