Android 16 improvement shifts to a quicker gear

It appears to be like like Google is shaking up its common schedule for giant Android updates. Historically, these main releases occur within the later a part of the yr, however there are hints, as noticed by Android professional Mishaal Rahman, that Android 16 may arrive a lot earlier, probably within the first half of 2025. This transformation appears to be tied to Google’s current swap to a brand new manner of growing Android, aimed toward making it extra secure and simpler to work on.Traditionally, Google has launched new Android variations in August, September, or October. Android 15 simply got here out this month, whereas Android 14 arrived in early October final yr. You’d have to return to 2012 to search out an Android model launched outdoors this timeframe. This yearly cycle has given Google loads of time to plan, construct, and take a look at new options for every replace.

Thanks to higher instruments and infrastructure, creating and distributing new Android variations has develop into less complicated over time. Nevertheless, one factor remained the identical till not too long ago: how Google’s builders dealt with the core code of Android.

As defined by Rahman, earlier this yr Google adopted a brand new improvement method referred to as “trunk-based improvement” to make Android extra secure. On this mannequin, all builders work on a single, major model of the code, utilizing flags to determine which options are lively in particular builds. This transformation has already proven optimistic outcomes and is perhaps the rationale Google feels assured sufficient to launch updates sooner.