Android 16 Might Be Released in Q2 2025 With 'Baklava' Codename: Reports

It is currently unclear whether Google's Pixel smartphones will also receive an early update to Android 16 next year.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 1 October 2024 12:08 IST

Android 16 Might Be Released in Q2 2025 With 'Baklava' Codename: Reports

Google Pixel 9 series is yet to be updated to Android 15, a month after it was released

Highlights

Android 15 was released by Google in September
The update is yet to roll out to Pixel smartphones
Google could release Android 16 at an earlier date in 2025

Google is likely to release Android 16 earlier than usual next year, according to details spotted on the company's documentation for its smartphone operating system. The source code for Android 15 was released last month, but Google's Pixel smartphones are yet to receive an update to the company's latest operating system. This purported switch might allow Google to ship its next generation of smartphones with Android 16 out-of-the-box, something that wasn't possible with the Pixel 9 series. Meanwhile, Google is reportedly resetting the alphabet based internal codename for Android 15 and Android 16.

The company's Android 15 Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) includes references to an "Android 25Q2" release (via Android Authority) that seems to be the next version of Google's smartphone OS. The publication also spotted a comment from a Googler in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that refers to a change that will be introduced with “25Q2/Android W”.

Google's Android CDD refers to an "25Q2 release"
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Google

Other references to upcoming API changes related to the purported 25Q2 release also supports the theory that it will be a major release and not an Android 15 quarterly platform release (QPR). This is because Google freezes the addition of new APIs before releasing a new OS version, and no new APIs can be added until the next version update.

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These clues suggest that Android 16 will arrive much earlier than previous versions, which have typically been released in September or October in recent years. It is currently unclear whether Google's Pixel smartphones will also receive an early update to Android 16 next year.

One reason for this change could be so that Google can ensure that the latest version of Android is ready to ship on its smartphones — the Pixel 9 series is running on Android 14, which was released a year ago.

Meanwhile, a separate report claims that Google has reset the alphabet-based codenames for its upcoming Android versions, starting with Android 15, which was previously referred to as Vanilla Ice Cream. While Android 16 was expected to be codenamed with a dessert starting with the letter W, it appears that the series has already been reset.

While Android 15 was previously referred to as Vanilla Ice Cream internally, Google's latest build numbers suggest that the letter V has been replaced with A. Similarly, Android 16 will be codenamed 'baklava', according to the publication. While the term has already been spotted in code for the upcoming version, some Google engineers are still referring to the release as Android W.

Google Pixel 9

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Flagship build and design
Excellent display
Great cameras
Good battery life
AI features are fun

Bad
Processor is still not great
Heats up
No longer compact

Read detailed Google Pixel 9 review

Display 6.30-inch

Front Camera 10.5-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 4700mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1080x2424 pixels

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Premium design
Bright display
Impressive AI features
Quality rear cameras
Long-term software commitment
Video Boost works brilliantly

Bad
Portrait mode needs work
Average battery life
45W charger not available in India

Read detailed Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review

Display 6.80-inch

Front Camera 42-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 5060mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1344x2992 pixels

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Further reading: Android 16, Android Baklava, Android 15, Google

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More