After months of testing, Android 15 is now a stable release, and the update is currently rolling out to eligible Pixel devices. Google introduced dozens of new features during the beta testing phase, but as usual, not all features made it into the stable build. Either it’s not completely ready or Google has decided to hold off on the feature until a future release.
This is the case with the predictive back gesture, which first appeared in the Android 13 beta but wasn’t widely rolled out until Android 15. Android 16 is still a few months away, but the first preview builds are expected to be available in late 2018. February 2025 — We know a fair amount about the next version of Android.
Which devices will run Android 16?
Android 16 is coming to more devices than any other Android version. Android 16 is now available on most devices launched in the last two years, as most brands now offer at least three Android OS updates for their low- and mid-range phones. Budget phones have been ignored for far too long, and the fact that they receive long-term updates is a big deal.
As for Google’s own devices, all Pixels starting with the Pixel 7 series can switch to Android 16. This excludes the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and all older Pixels, although these devices will continue to receive feature updates and security patches. Google currently guarantees seven years of software updates even for the mid-range Pixel 8a, so updates won’t be an issue in the future.
What is the internal codename of Android 16?
Google has used dessert names in versions of Android in the past, and although they no longer do so (ending with Android 10), they still maintain internal codenames. Android 15 was vanilla ice cream, but with Android 16, I think Google will choose desserts that start with a W, like waffles.
Instead, Android 16 has an internal codename of Baklava. Google is changing the way it assigns codenames for Android releases, effectively starting over from scratch while keeping the dessert-based moniker.
New features coming to Android 16
Notification cooldown reduces noise
Notification Cooldown is a great new feature that reduces the volume of incoming notifications when you receive consecutive notifications from within the same app. So, if you are in a group chat and start receiving notifications frequently, your phone will automatically lower the volume of further notifications.
What’s great is that you can choose this setting for just conversations or for all apps. As someone who doesn’t like receiving a lot of notification alerts (I use DND most of the day), this is a great new addition and I’d like to use it effectively.
real desktop mode
Although Samsung has a DeX mode on its high-end devices, the brand is an exception in this regard, as most Android devices do not have a desktop mode. That could change with Android 16. Later Android 15 beta builds have a desktop mode with app windows, and while it’s not available in stable builds, it’s clear that Google is working on enabling desktop mode on Android.
Samsung’s features are still much better. The brand has been tweaking DeX for nearly five years, and DeX is a mature platform. That being said, I’m really excited to see native desktop mode coming to Android 16.
Limit charging to 80%
This feature was available in Android 15 beta, but is not mentioned in the stable release. Charging optimization mode is included in the Android 15 QPR1 build, so Google could roll it out in that update or push it into the broader Android 16 release.
As the name suggests, this feature allows you to limit your battery to 80%, significantly extending its lifespan. Several manufacturers include this feature in their own skins, but you’ll find it built into Android natively.
Android 16 should make audio sharing easier
Another new feature that appeared in the early betas of Android 15 but isn’t available in the stable release is the ability to cast music to multiple Bluetooth devices at the same time.[オーディオ共有]The submenu is[接続済みデバイス]within the page and allows you to cast music to multiple Bluetooth devices at once. I really wanted to see this feature in Android 15, but given the amount of bugs, it’s clear that Google will postpone this feature until next year.
Android 16 is coming soon
You won’t have to wait long to get an early preview of Android 16. Google typically releases development previews in the first quarter. Early builds are buggy and don’t have many new features, but they work. As a basis for further testing.
Google hasn’t changed its beta program in nearly a decade, and it’s unlikely to do so again next year. This means public beta builds should be available around May, and stable versions should be released in Q4. Of course, this is all speculation for now, and we’ll know more once Google starts rolling out preview builds of Android 16.
