Google did not have any main bulletins at MWC 2025, however the firm continues to be very a lot current. There is a little bit of Google in nearly each nook on the present, however within the midst of all the joy on the present ground, I used to be in a position to sit with Seang Chau, VP and GM of Android Platform, to debate what to stay up for in 2025. And whereas AI underscored practically every little thing on the docket, we additionally dove into Android 16’s accelerated timeline and the plan to enhance replace assist throughout OEMs.
Bettering Android updates throughout the board appears to be a significant point of interest for the corporate this yr, from enhancing the timing of machine launches to creating it simpler for OEMs to assist software program longer than they historically have. And whereas this might not be as thrilling as new Gemini options, getting everybody on the identical web page with Android updates is simply as necessary, if no more so.
Android’s new schedule
When the Android 16 Developer preview commenced, Google introduced that it was making a significant change to its schedule. As a substitute of following its typical launch timing, the steady replace would launch sooner, particularly in Q2. This implies we are able to anticipate the replace to reach by June on the newest, placing it months forward of earlier releases.
Once I requested Chau in regards to the accelerated timeline, he mentioned there are a number of the explanation why Android 16 is coming a lot sooner.
“The primary is, we’re getting suggestions from our OEM companions that ‘Hey, the sooner you may launch, the extra doubtless we are able to push new [software] once we launch a brand new handset in that very same yr.’
As a result of in the event you take a look at among the greatest releases through the yr, if we’re releasing a brand new Android model in August or September, it is actually onerous to launch a cellphone that very same yr with the newest launch, after which it’s a must to wait nevertheless many months earlier than you get the newest Android launch.”
This was very true final yr when the Pixel 9 launched in August final yr with out the newest Android launch. Despite the fact that the telephones arrived a bit earlier in comparison with the earlier launch, many discovered it unusual that Google waited till after they had been launched to push Android 15.
Many flagship or sub-flagship launches occur within the second half of the yr, which made the timing of earlier Android releases tough. Samsung is a kind of corporations that launch new telephones in July or August, which implies they normally include final yr’s software program earlier than the corporate launches a beta and ultimately the steady model later within the yr, normally beginning in This fall.
With Android 16 set to reach a lot sooner, this ought to assist corporations keep away from that awkward launch window after a brand new replace has been launched. Which means the Pixel 10 ought to include Android 16 out of the field. The brand new schedule means new telephones from different OEMs can get the brand new software program and hopefully be up to date sooner.
Chau additionally notes that one more reason the corporate moved up the Android 16 replace is as a result of the corporate “needed to have the ability to transfer sooner with respect to APIs.” And whereas the transfer is partially AI-driven, he says that, finally, it simply is sensible.
“As rapidly because the market is shifting, and as rapidly as our builders want to have the ability to transfer so as to construct new performance, particularly round AI, we have to be sure that we are able to add that functionality and people APIs a number of instances a yr.
So, so as to do this, it did not make sense to launch one thing in August or September, after which, like, a pair months later put out one other launch with an API replace.”
Constructing higher assist
Updating a cellphone is one factor, but it surely’s one other factor to proceed pushing updates for a cellphone for years after the machine is launched. The Pixel made the primary main push for prolonged replace assist, promising seven years of OS upgrades and safety updates. Samsung then adopted swimsuit with its flagship Galaxy telephones.
However that sort of assist hasn’t been frequent within the Android area, and it undoubtedly takes plenty of assets to offer it. This is the reason the current announcement from Qualcomm and Google is such a giant deal, making it simpler for OEMs to assist their gadgets for as much as eight years. That mentioned, whereas we have seen Honor be part of the seven-year membership, it is finally as much as OEMs in the event that they wish to carry that degree of assist to gadgets. Chau says he hopes the transfer will encourage extra OEMs to observe.
“One of many driving components round that is sustainability, after all, however actually, it is as a way to hold your gadgets longer. And in the event you resolve to cross that machine down or return it, you are in a position to retain extra [secondary market] worth.” Chau says the hope is that longer assist for gadgets will assist drive extra adoption of Android telephones, with shoppers realizing their gadgets will stay safe for years to come back.
Actually, that is partially what drove some long-term Pixel customers that I do know to improve from their Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 gadgets after assist ended for them. Although they had been intrigued by the inexpensive Pixel 6a, they ultimately pulled the set off when the Pixel 7 launched with improved replace assist (which has since been prolonged by one other two years), particularly since they weren’t planning to improve once more for some time.
Google’s Pixel telephones have arguably the very best software program replace coverage, and now, that degree of assist could be prolonged to different gadgets, though it wasn’t with out its challenges.
“One of many greatest boundaries was SoC assist,” Chau notes, highlighting that the transition to Tensor SoC helped carry that degree of dedication to Pixel telephones.
“One of many challenges, after all, is Linux because the underlying working system. The long-term assist interval for various variations of Linux kernels was really shortened. So, we needed to work with the SoC distributors and our companions to be sure that we might really improve the kernel.” He notes that this has been very tough up to now, which highlights the significance of this new collaboration with Qualcomm.
For now, the eight years of assist is supported on the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite, which powers in the present day’s finest Android telephones. Nonetheless, this can even lengthen to future 8-series chips in addition to future 7-series chips, that are anticipated later this yr.
What’s extra, Qualcomm notes that this assist can decrease prices for OEMs all in favour of including prolonged software program assist for his or her telephones. As somebody who loves Motorola telephones, I hope this implies the corporate can will add higher (and sooner) assist to its newer gadgets.
Making updates higher so your cellphone does not worsen
With Android 16 nonetheless in beta, Chau wasn’t in a position to discuss what we are able to anticipate from the steady replace later this yr, however he did be aware that regardless of among the rhetoric round prolonged replace assist, Google is targeted on making every replace higher than the final and making issues extra environment friendly.
“We have promised seven years of updates on Pixel, and we labored with Qualcomm to get to eight years. I see plenty of sentiment, let’s assume, like ‘Who cares about eight years as a result of it may make it worse’ and all these different issues. We’re actually working onerous to be sure that that is not the case.
Each launch, we wish to be sure it’s higher than the final one, together with efficiency, battery life, and many others.”
Chau acknowledges that some options would require extra energy, which is par for the course with regards to updates. We lately noticed this in motion with the Galaxy S25 sequence, which has options that require the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite for AI processing, which are not accessible on earlier fashions. It is also simply as frequent with Pixels attributable to extra highly effective chips having the ability to deal with extra power-hungry duties.
Nonetheless, Chau says Google tries to offset this by discovering features elsewhere, which might typically imply a bump in efficiency when a brand new replace rolls round, even when a characteristic or two are sacrificed attributable to an absence of energy.
Finally, the query turns into, “How will we make the releases higher in order that we’re not making your cellphone worse?”
Luckily, with the brand new Android 16 launch schedule and a promise to assist OEMs replace their telephones longer (and hopefully sooner), 2025 is shaping as much as be a pivotal second for Android updates.
