It’s less than a month since Google’s Android 15 was finally unleashed, but customers may not have to wait another year for Android 16 – codenamed Baklava – according to tech types.
Google releases a new version of Android each year, but the timing is always subject to much rumour and speculation.
The main annual Android release since 1.0 in September 2008 has taken place in August, September, October or November, except for Android 3.0, which was released in February 2011 (Android 2.0 had been released more than a year before, in October 2009).
Now tipsters are suggesting Android 16 could be released in the second quarter of 2025.
“Thanks to better tooling, more robust infrastructure, and improvements to the platform architecture, Google has made it easier over the years to develop, test, and distribute new Android versions,” reports Android Authority.
Android 16. Artwork: ChannelNews.
“However, one aspect of Google’s development process remained the same since Android’s beginning: the way its platform developers deal with Android Open Source Project (AOSP) branches.”
Earlier this year, the site says, Google moved Android to a trunk-based development model, with the goal to “improve platform stability”.
“Under Google’s trunk stable project, its Android developers work on a single, unified internal ‘main’ branch and use flagging to determine what features and APIs are enabled in a particular build they push out.”
Android Authority says this has allowed Google to “push out new changes much faster than before” and speculates that Google may launch Android 16 earlier than expected due to its confidence in the new development process.
Google has named major Android releases and some updates after sweet treats. The first, Android 1.1, was named Petit Fours. The next was Cupcake, then Donut and Eclair. An alphabetic trend had begun.
Over the years it’s moved though the likes of Gingerbread, Jellybean, Key Lime Pie, New York Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake and, for Android 15, Vanilla Icecream. For reasons unknown Lamington did not earn the L spot, with Lemon Meringue Pie taking home the gong.
