While we wait for One UI 7.0, Android 16 could make an early entry

Android 16 could be released in Q2 2025

Every year, Google releases a new version of Android in the third quarter. This year, it delayed the release of Android 15 to Pixel devices. However, the company could release Android 16 in the second quarter of next year.

According to a report from Android Authority, Google moved Android to a trunk-based development model with a goal to improve platform stability. Under this process, all its developers that develop Android OS work on a single, unified main branch and use flags to determine what features and APIs are available in each build of Android that is released. This change has already helped Google release features much faster.

Apparently, the Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) for Android 15 refers to “25Q2” twice as the next release of Android. If Google was planning to follow its usual cycle, it should have been “25Q3,” but it doesn't seem to be.

Google started using dates as references to Android releases. For example, Android 14 QPR2 was internally known as 24Q1, and it was actually released in the first quarter of 2024, while Android 14 QPR3 was known as 24Q2 and was released in the second quarter of this year. Similarly, since Google has referenced 25Q2 as the next Android release, Android 16 will likely be released in the second quarter of next year. That is three months earlier than usual.

One UI 8.0 could be released in Q3 of 2025

If Google releases Android 16 in Q2 of 2025, One UI 8.0 could also be released earlier. Samsung usually releases the stable version of One UI three months after Google releases a stable version of Android. So, it is possible that Samsung might release One UI 8.0 in Q3 of 2025 instead of Q4.