Google is accelerating the development of Android 16, with an earlier release schedule than in previous years. This time, you won’t have to wait until the end of the year to discover the next version.
A comment spotted on Android Gerrit by Android Authority contributor AssembleDebug reveals potential dates for upcoming beta versions of the operating system. According to this information, which comes from a Google employee, the first beta version of Android 16 could be deployed around January 22, followed by a second version around February 19.
The third beta is explicitly mentioned for March 12, the date on which the platform should reach its first phase of stability. This accelerated schedule marks a break from the usual Android development cycle. As a reminder, Android 15 was only launched last October. This new approach would allow Google to finalize Android 16 as early as the second quarter of 2025, several months before the traditional release period.
Also read – Android 16 will simplify the search for tiles in quick settings
-Android 16 will arrive early this year
The development process is already well underway, with two preview versions for developers already released since November. These early releases revealed several potential new features, including changes to the volume panel and sliders, as well as an option to pause AI write assist.
After the third beta in March, Google is expected to continue with additional beta releases in April and May for final testing. These versions will refine features and correct the latest bugs before deploying the stable version to all users.
This acceleration of development could allow smartphone manufacturers to integrate Android 16 into their devices more quickly, thus reducing the usual fragmentation of the Android system. Pixel owners should be the first to benefit from the stable update, gradually followed by other manufacturers.
The next beta versions should tell us more about the features that will actually be integrated into the final version of Android 16, some new features seen in the preview versions may still be modified or removed between now and the official release.
