Skip to main content

October 15 could be the day Android fans have been waiting for

Private Space option in app library of Android 15.
Private Space is one of the best features on Android 15. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

The official release of Android 15 has been delayed way longer than anyone expected, but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. According to a report from Android Headlines, the next version of Android will hit the market on October 15.

This is a marked departure from how Google has handled the launch in the past. Typically, the latest version of Android releases with the latest version of the Pixel, but that wasn’t the case this year with the August release of the Google Pixel 9. In a way, Android 15 is releasing at its usual time; the Pixel was just early.

Recommended Videos

Google pushed Android 15 to the Android Open Source Project, or AOSP, earlier this month. That usually heralds an imminent release. As for why it’s releasing on the 15th — a Tuesday — instead of on Monday, is likely due to Columbus Day, a national holiday in the U.S.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Android 15 is coming with a load of new and useful features that will improve the overall user experience, including performance improvements, better PDF usability, notification cooldowns, and even partial screen sharing.

Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The new operating system will work with the Pixel 6 and later devices, which also makes this the first Android update that’s restricted to Tensor-based Pixels. If you’re still using an older-model Pixel, then you won’t qualify for this update.

The idea is that since the update has taken longer to launch, it’s been under more scrutiny, and as such, should theoretically have fewer bugs. Whether that actually plays out, though, remains to be seen.

October 15 is less than a month away, so sit tight. A new version of Android will be here before you know it — even if it took longer to get here than many would have liked.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
Android 16’s latest beta promises deeper mobile photography controls
The Android 16 logo on a smartphone, resting on a shelf.

Google has started rolling out the second beta update of Android 16 for supported Pixel devices. There are not many user-facing features arriving with this build, but Google is making a few framework changes that will enhance the camera experience for users in the near future.

The most notable change is a new hybrid auto exposure system arriving with the Camera2 API upgrade. So far, users have only had access to rudimentary controls in the auto-mode for capturing stills and videos. For deeper controls, there was no other option than digging into the cluttered Pro mode.

Read more
A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store
The Apple TV app on a Samsung Android phone.

It's been five years since the Apple TV app was launched, and we're now getting a version for Android devices -- built from the ground up for native Android integration -- in the Google Play store that will have the same Apple TV+ functionality as the Apple ecosystem version. The new app means users with Android OS 10 or later will finally have the ability to sign up for Apple TV+ on their Android-based phones and tablets to watch shows and movies like Severance, Silo, Killers of the Flower Moon, and CODA. There will be no difference in pricing on Android compared to Apple.

This should enable seamless interactivity across platforms for features such as Continue Watching -- which keeps track of where you are in a show or movie and allows you to pick up from that spot when you return, regardless of the device you watch on. Customer's Watchlist will be kept up to date across devices as well, and since purchases are linked to your Apple account, all the content you own will be accessible on any device with the new updated app. One thing missing at launch, though, will be the ability to cast Apple TV content from your Android device.

Read more
Affordable phone with no camera bump? This could be it
Google Pixel 9a renders.

It has been a busy week for news regarding the Google Pixel 9a. More information about its design surfaced just days after the likely colors for the new budget phone leaked.

In exclusive news, Android Headlines has released official renders of the new phone, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday, February 17 in just one week. The images reveal that the rear camera system on the Pixel 9a is designed to be flush with the back of the phone. This contrasts with the other Google Pixel 9 series models, such as the Pixel Pro XL, which feature a protruding camera bar.

Read more