Google Might be planning to change it android release cycleEvidence indicating the arrival of android 16 Reportedly discovered at an earlier date than expected in 2025. while the major Android While 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 Rahman claims that Google has twice referred to “25Q2” as the next release of Android. compatibility definition document (CDD) for Android 15.
What is Android’s trunk-based development model and how can it help change the release cycle
Google recently adopted the “trunk-based development” model for Android. This new approach streamlines development by having all engineers working on a single, unified codebase, using flags to control which features are active in specific builds. This increased efficiency and stability has given Google the confidence to target an earlier release than usual for Android 16, demonstrating the benefits of this new development strategy. Along with this approach, Google also adopted a new internal naming convention for Android releases that uses dates instead of codenames.
For example, Android 14 QPR2 is known internally as “24Q1” and Android 15 is called “24Q3”. The change highlights recent references to “25Q2” within Google’s internal documents and code, which suggest Android 16, codenamed “Bakalawa”, could be released earlier than expected in the second quarter of 2025.
This is also supported by comments from Google engineers android open source project (AOSP), indicating that “25Q2” will be the next major Android version, the report said.
Additionally, evidence supporting the first Android 16 release lies in code changes related to Bluetooth and API updateThese changes are being postponed to the “25Q2 window”, meaning they will not be implemented until the “25Q1” release is finalized.
This is in line with Android’s development practices, where API changes are generally reserved for major Android versions. The fact that these changes are targeted for “25Q2” further reinforces the idea that this marks the launch of Android 16.
If these findings are true, Android 16 could be released in June 2025, which would likely coincide with Google I/O. The early release will also ensure that the upcoming Pixel phones will launch with the latest Android version, unlike the Pixel 9 series, which came with Android 14 instead of 15.
Google may change the Android release cycle by rolling out Android 16 in Q2 2025
Google may be planning to change its Android release cycle. Evidence has reportedly been discovered suggesting the arrival of Android 16 at an earlier date than expected in 2025. 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 Rahman has claimed that Google has mentioned “25Q2” twice in the compatibility definition document (CDD) for Android 15 as the next release of Android.
what is android trunk based development Model and how it can help change the release cycle
Google recently adopted the “trunk-based development” model for Android. This new approach streamlines development by having all engineers working on a single, unified codebase, using flags to control which features are active in specific builds. This increased efficiency and stability has given Google the confidence to target an earlier release than usual for Android 16, demonstrating the benefits of this new development strategy. Along with this approach, Google also adopted a new internal naming convention for Android releases that uses dates instead of codenames.
For example, Android 14 QPR2 is known internally as “24Q1” and Android 15 is called “24Q3”. The change highlights recent references to “25Q2” within Google’s internal documents and code, which suggest Android 16, codenamed “Bakalawa”, could be released earlier than expected in the second quarter of 2025.
The report says this is also supported by comments from Google engineers at the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), indicating that “25Q2” will be the next major Android version.
Additionally, evidence supporting an earlier Android 16 release lies in code changes related to Bluetooth and API updates. These changes are being postponed to the “25Q2 window”, meaning they will not be implemented until the “25Q1” release is finalized.
This is in line with Android’s development practices, where API changes are generally reserved for major Android versions. The fact that these changes are targeted for “25Q2” further reinforces the idea that this marks the launch of Android 16.
If these findings are true, Android 16 could be released in June 2025, which would likely coincide with Google I/O. The early release will also ensure that the upcoming Pixel phones will launch with the latest Android version, unlike the Pixel 9 series, which came with Android 14 instead of 15.
