We at the moment are firmly on the street to Android 15, with Google releasing the primary developer preview on February 16, 2024. This isn’t usually when Google releases developer previews and betas; normally, that’s on a Wednesday. However Google did point out late final 12 months that it was transferring away from its typical launch schedule and can launch updates, betas, and previews when they’re prepared.
That could be a week after Android 14 began final 12 months, with the primary developer preview dropping on February 8, 2023.
On this article, we’re going to let you know all the pieces it’s worthwhile to learn about Android 15 and replace you all through the developer preview, beta, and secure phases of the lifetime of Android 15 till Android 16 launches in late 2025.
What is going to Android 15 be known as?
Publicly, Google has dropped dessert names from new variations of Android. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless used internally, and Android 15 is utilizing the letter “V”. So Android 15 is referred to internally as Android V or Vanilla Ice Cream. This follows Upside Down Cake for Android 14 and Tiramisu for Android 13. Listed here are the newest variations of Android and their dessert names. I ponder what Android 16 will probably be with “W” subsequent 12 months?
Android 10 – Quince Tart
Android 11 – Purple Velvet Cake
Android 12 – Snow Cone
Android 13 – Tiramisu
Android 14 – Upside Down Cake
Android 15 – Vanilla Ice Cream
When will Android 15 be launched?
Sometimes, Google will put out a developer preview or beta each month till August. Then, in both August, September, or October, the ultimate secure model will begin to roll out. This has moved round a bit lately, being as early as mid-August for Android 13 in 2022 or mid-October for Android 12 in 2021 and Android 14 in 2023. Listed here are the secure launch dates for earlier Android variations:
Google has, up to now, launched new variations of Android properly forward of the brand new Pixel launch. So don’t suppose that Google is ready for the Pixel 9 announcement to launch Android 15; that’s not occurring.
What’s the developer preview and beta schedule?
The primary developer preview launched on February 15, 2024. We usually get a brand new developer preview or beta nearly each month. The total schedule is under.
We’re anticipating two developer previews in February and March. Then, the beta cycle begins in April, with 4 betas every month till July. After that’s the remaining launch, which Google shouldn’t be including a month for this time; it might be as early as August or as late as October, as we’ve seen lately.
What gadgets will get Android 15?
Proper now, we will solely communicate to the Google Pixel vary of smartphones. Google says that the Pixel 6 and later would be the solely gadgets on the schedule for getting Android 15. Right here’s the entire Pixel checklist:
Google Pixel 6
Google Pixel 6 Professional
Google Pixel 6a
Google Pixel 7
Google Pixel 7 Professional
Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel Fold
Google Pixel Pill
Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8 Professional
We’ll want to attend till the autumn to see what gadgets from different producers will get up to date to Android 15. For the developer preview, you’ll have to flash the picture onto your Pixel system.
What options is Android 15 bringing?
Thus far, Android 15 could be very developer-focused, therefore the “developer preview” state. The vast majority of the modifications are under-the-hood modifications that builders and OEMs will be capable to use of their apps and telephones. However right here’s a brief checklist of what we have now to this point.
Improved App Archiving
Now, app archiving shouldn’t be new on Android, however it’s enhancing, beginning with Android 15 Beta 1. Google is making it simpler for customers to liberate area on their Android gadgets with this characteristic. You may simply archive and unarchive apps as wanted. An necessary factor to recollect between archiving and uninstalling is that, with archiving, your consumer information stays in your cellphone. So, unarchiving the app is a breeze. Uninstalling the app implies that you’d have to re-login, change all of your settings once more, and so forth.
This variation can be going to make it simple for third-party app shops to help app archiving.
Default edge-to-edge show for Android 15-targeted apps
Additionally new in Android 15 Beta 1 are some new instruments for builders. Google is making it simpler to implement edge-to-edge show visibility for apps so builders can simply make the app take up the complete display screen with higher contact targets.
For the consumer, because of this apps ought to seem as edge-to-edge, and place the content material behind the default and system bars that will probably be clear or translucent.
New colour distinction settings
Android 15 will introduce a brand new “colour distinction” settings web page, which will probably be hidden by default however will be manually activated. As we reported in early April, the brand new web page will permit customers to regulate the distinction of textual content, buttons, and icons to make them stand out extra in apps.
Coloration distinction settings with regular textual content distinction (gentle mode)
Customers will be capable to select from “default,” “medium,” or “excessive” distinction ranges for colours. They will additionally toggle “maximize textual content distinction” to “add a black or white background round textual content to extend distinction.”
Constructed-in app archiving
Android 15 is about to deliver built-in app archiving, which is able to permit you to save cupboard space in your cellphone by archiving apps that you just don’t use usually. This can be a characteristic that the iPhone has had for a few years.
From the early screenshots of this characteristic, it seems that it’s going to solely archive apps if you run out of cupboard space in your system. This hasn’t but been introduced by Google and sure gained’t be till the primary beta launches.
Discover My System works when system is powered off
One other characteristic that seems to be within the works for Android 15 is permitting gadgets to be tracked once they are powered off. For instance, with Discover My System, if somebody steals your cellphone and turns it off, you’ll be able to nonetheless observe it and discover the place it’s.
It’s additionally being rumored that this may not be unique to the Pixel 9 and will come to the Pixel 8 as properly.
Person Privateness and Safety
As with each new Android launch, Google is specializing in defending consumer privateness and safety with a couple of fairly important modifications. The primary is the Privateness Sandbox on Android. Android 15 brings this to extension degree 10. That can incorporate the newest model of the Privateness Sandbox on Android. It’s a part of Google’s work to develop new applied sciences that enhance consumer privateness and allow efficient, customized promoting experiences for cellular apps.
Subsequent up is Well being Join. That is the app that lets you sync your well being information between totally different apps like Google Match, Fitbit, and Samsung Well being. Android 15 brings extensions 10 round Well being Join by Android, which brings help for brand new information sorts throughout health, diet, and extra.
Android 15’s FileIntegrityManager will get new APIs that can faucet into the ability of the fs-verity characteristic within the Linux kernel. With fs-verity, information will be protected by customized cryptographic signatures that can assist you make sure that they haven’t been tampered with or corrupted.
Lastly, Google is including partial display screen sharing. Permitting you to share or report simply an app window quite than the complete system display screen.
Supporting Content material Creators
It’s clearly important for Google to help content material creators; in spite of everything, they do personal YouTube. However with Android 15, Google is including higher in-app digicam controls that can be utilized in different apps. Builders will get higher help for utilizing options of high-end cameras, just like the 200-megapixel digicam on Galaxy S24 Extremely.
Android 15 can be extending UMP help to digital MIDI apps. This permits composition apps to regulate synthesizer apps as a digital MIDI 2.0 system identical to they might with a USB MIDI 2.0 system.
Efficiency
Google can be making some modifications to enhance the efficiency and high quality of apps throughout all the Android gadgets in the marketplace. The Android Dynamic Efficiency Framework is getting up to date. Which now has a brand new power-efficiency mode for trace periods to point that there related threads ought to want energy saving over efficiency.
GPU and CPU work durations can each be reported throughout trace periods, which goes to permit the CPU and GPU to regulate the frequencies collectively to greatest meet workload calls for. Thermal headroom thresholds are additionally added, which is able to interpret doable thermal throttling standing based mostly on headroom prediction.
Extra to come back
Typically, the primary couple of updates for a brand new model of Android are geared in direction of builders. Give them extra time to get their apps prepared for the ultimate launch of Android 15 by releasing a number of the APIs now. Nevertheless, the APIs gained’t be remaining till the June beta launch.
Person-facing options will doubtless come within the first beta, which is about for April.
When will my cellphone get Android 15?
It’s powerful to essentially say proper now when your cellphone may get up to date to Android 15, particularly since we’re nonetheless so many months away from the secure launch. Nevertheless, Pixel gadgets ought to be first in line to get the replace. The Pixel 6 and newer ought to be up to date this time round, with help for Pixel 5a getting dropped. Samsung has additionally been fairly fast to roll out updates for brand new variations of Android, and it’ll doubtless include One UI 7 round October or November.
As for different producers, we’ll have to attend till this Fall to know for certain.
