Leak reveals Android 16 could arrive sooner than expected
What's the story
Google appears to be gearing up for the launch of its next-generation operating system, Android 16. As per the speculations, we could see Android 16's stable release sooner than last year's mid-October rollout of Android 15. A recent leak, spotted by Android Authority, indicates that the first beta version of Android 16 could be released as early as this month.
Release timeline
Beta 2 and beta 3 to follow
The same leak also suggests that Google intends to release the second and third beta versions of Android 16 in February and March, respectively. However, the exact details about the stable version's release still remain undisclosed. Android Authority first spotted this information in a comment on the Android Gerrit, where a Google employee shared possible release dates for the upcoming betas.
Stability timeline
Android 16 could achieve platform stability by mid-March
The leaked information indicates Android 16 could achieve platform stability by mid-March. This could open the doors for the fourth beta version which is expected to drop in April or May. If these predictions are accurate, we could see a stable release of Android 16 before the end of Q2 instead of Q3.
Expected features
Take a look at the rumored features
Rumors indicate that Android 16 could bring a bunch of new features such as revamped volume controls, sharper UI, and improved accessibility. Other rumored additions include health records, improved adaptive refresh rate, and enhanced security and privacy. Some reports even suggest that we could see some improvements in battery performance with this new update.