Google may be planning to change its Android release cycle. Evidence suggesting the arrival of Android 16 at an earlier-than-expected date in 2025 has been reportedly discovered. While major Android versions typically launch in the third or fourth quarter of the year, evidence suggests Android 16 could arrive much earlier, potentially in the second quarter of 2025.
According to a report by Android Authority, Android researcher Mishaal Rahmaan claimed to have noticed that Google twice referred to “25Q2” as the next release of Android in the Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) for Android 15.
What is Android’s trunk-based development model and how it may help in changing the release cycle
Google has recently shifted to a “trunk-based development” model for Android. This new approach streamlines development by having all engineers work on a single, unified codebase, using flags to control which features are active in specific builds. This increased efficiency and stability may have given Google the confidence to target an earlier-than-usual release for Android 16, showcasing the benefits of this new development strategy. With this approach, Google also adopted a new internal naming convention for Android releases which uses dates instead of codenames.
For instance, Android 14 QPR2 is internally known as “24Q1,” and Android 15 is “24Q3.” This shift sheds light on the recent references to “25Q2” within Google’s internal documents and code, suggesting that Android 16, codenamed “baklava,” could be released earlier than expected, in the second quarter of 2025.
This is further supported by comments from Google engineers in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), indicating that “25Q2” will be the next major Android version, the report adds.
Apart from this, evidence supporting an earlier Android 16 release lies in code changes related to Bluetooth and API updates. These changes are being deferred to the “25Q2 window,” meaning they won’t be implemented until after the “25Q1” release is finalised.
This aligns with Android’s development practices, where API changes are typically reserved for major Android versions. The fact that these changes are targeted for “25Q2” further reinforces the idea that this signifies the launch of Android 16.
If these findings are to be true, Android 16 may see a June 2025 release, possibly coinciding with Google I/O. An early release would also ensure that upcoming Pixel phones will launch with the latest Android version, unlike the Pixel 9 series, which arrived with Android 14 instead of 15.
Google may change Android release cycle by rolling out Android 16 in Q2 2025
Google may be planning to change its Android release cycle. Evidence suggesting the arrival of Android 16 at an earlier-than-expected date in 2025 has been reportedly discovered. While major Android versions typically launch in the third or fourth quarter of the year, evidence suggests Android 16 could arrive much earlier, potentially in the second quarter of 2025.
According to a report by Android Authority, Android researcher Mishaal Rahmaan claimed to have noticed that Google twice referred to “25Q2” as the next release of Android in the Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) for Android 15.
What is Android’s trunk-based development model and how it may help in changing the release cycle
Google has recently shifted to a “trunk-based development” model for Android. This new approach streamlines development by having all engineers work on a single, unified codebase, using flags to control which features are active in specific builds. This increased efficiency and stability may have given Google the confidence to target an earlier-than-usual release for Android 16, showcasing the benefits of this new development strategy. With this approach, Google also adopted a new internal naming convention for Android releases which uses dates instead of codenames.
For instance, Android 14 QPR2 is internally known as “24Q1,” and Android 15 is “24Q3.” This shift sheds light on the recent references to “25Q2” within Google’s internal documents and code, suggesting that Android 16, codenamed “baklava,” could be released earlier than expected, in the second quarter of 2025.
This is further supported by comments from Google engineers in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), indicating that “25Q2” will be the next major Android version, the report adds.
Apart from this, evidence supporting an earlier Android 16 release lies in code changes related to Bluetooth and API updates. These changes are being deferred to the “25Q2 window,” meaning they won’t be implemented until after the “25Q1” release is finalised.
This aligns with Android’s development practices, where API changes are typically reserved for major Android versions. The fact that these changes are targeted for “25Q2” further reinforces the idea that this signifies the launch of Android 16.
If these findings are to be true, Android 16 may see a June 2025 release, possibly coinciding with Google I/O. An early release would also ensure that upcoming Pixel phones will launch with the latest Android version, unlike the Pixel 9 series, which arrived with Android 14 instead of 15.