Google’s President of the Android Ecosystem, Sameer Samat, has confirmed that Android 16 is on track for a June release, marking an earlier rollout than recent versions. Speaking at MWC 2025, Samat said, “So far, so good,” noting the team’s efforts to meet the self-imposed deadline despite ongoing bug fixes.
Why the early release?
The earlier release is attributed to Google’s adoption of Trunk Stable development, a shift aimed at streamlining the update process. Traditionally, merging updates took from June until later in the year, but this change allows Google to deliver the software sooner. “One of the challenges we set ourselves internally is to see if we can get this out earlier,” Samat explained.
Focus on modular updates
While emphasizing the importance of numbered OS releases, Samat highlighted Google’s strategy of modularizing Android for more frequent updates. “There are some fundamental changes which can only happen with an operating system release, but there are other things where we’ve engineered Android such that a component can update more regularly,” he said. This approach caters to users seeking faster functionality and regular updates.
Android 16 Beta 2.1, the latest version, is currently available on Pixel devices. More details about the final release are expected at Google I/O 2025 on May 20, with the stable version rolling out by the end of June.
