With an earlier Android 16 release promised for 2025, Google is already on the path by releasing the first developer beta. Buried within the release is some great news for users with older Pixel phones.
The Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is out today for experienced tinkerers with compatible Pixel handsets. Unexpectedly, two of those compatible devices are 2021’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
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When Google launched those phones, it promised operating system support for three years. That officially ends with the delayed Android 15 update this year.
However, the compatibility with the new Android 16 beta is a pretty solid sign the phones will get a stay of execution and receive full operating system support, for another version at least.
Of course, Google now promises seven full years of Android updates for its latest Pixel phones. However, it has taken a while to get to that point and it would be a welcome surprise if the company started retroactively extending support for models that arrived even before the pledge was pushed to five years.
The arrival of the Android 16 developer preview today doesn’t tell us much about the new features Google has planned for 2025. However, considering this version doesn’t usually arrive until late winter/spring, it shows the company is planning to make good on its promise to get the OS to users much sooner next year.
Android 15 has been surprisingly late this year, which has knock on effects for owners of third party-made devices from the likes of Samsung, as well as Pixel users.
Google has pledged to rectify that with next year’s mainline Android release. In a blog post on October 31, Google said: “We’re planning the major release for Q2 rather than Q3 to better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can get the major release of Android sooner.”
Google added: “Next year, we’ll have a major release in Q2 and a minor release in Q4, both of which will include new developer APIs. The Q2 major release will be the only release in 2025 to include behaviour changes that can affect apps.
“The Q4 minor release will pick up feature updates, optimisations, and bug fixes since the major release. It will also include new developer APIs, but will not include any app-impacting behaviour changes.”
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