Android 16 was already rumoured to be released sooner next year than this year. This has now been essentially confirmed by Google. Google announced that SDK releases would be more frequent in 2025, with two planned. In Q2, Android 16 will likely be released, followed by a minor release in Q4 that will include new APIs but not change any app behaviour. As a result, users and developers will have access to new features and APIs more frequently, with higher stability and polish.
Android 16’s first developer preview will be released very soon. Since Android’s final version will launch nearly three months early this year, it’s not a surprise.
It is said that Google will announce the first developer preview of Android 16 sometime “soon.” Android 15’s first developer preview took place in February, but given Android 16’s accelerated release date, Android 16 Developer Preview 1 may be released before the end of the year.
In addition, Gemini features are coming to Android Studio to help you code more efficiently. With custom AI Transforms, developers can directly modify and refactor code using Gemini. With Journeys, Google has also simplified testing with Gemini. It is easier for developers of all skill levels to test and debug end-to-end tasks using natural language descriptions.
