Android 16 is coming sooner than ever before, and the initial preview build is now available on select Pixels. While Google usually releases these builds in Q1, the brand is changing its strategy this time around, and is making the release available earlier. There's a good reason for this: with the debut of the Pixels pushed up, Google wants to have the latest Android version ready before it announces hardware, and as a result, we're getting Android 16 just a month after the stable Android 15 release.
That's a good thing, as it means more devices will come with the latest version of Android installed out of the box. While brands do a decent job rolling out the stable Android update to their high-end phones, most mid-range phones take several months to make the switch, and this won't be as big an issue if the update itself is available sooner. While details are scant at the moment, here's what you need to know about when Android 16 might be available on your device.
If you have a Pixel 6 and above, you can install the Android 16 beta right now. That said, I wouldn't recommend installing the build right now; there are no visible user-facing changes, and most of the under-the-hood tweaks aren't aimed at end users anyway.
That will change over the coming months as Google starts adding features to Android 16, and when the time comes, I will share additional details on what's new, and whether it makes sense to install Android 16 on your Pixel. Until then though, Android 15 is still the best choice.
Samsung
Samsung is yet to introduce its Android 15-based One UI 7, and the focus for the brand is to get that out the door. We should see the One UI 7 beta sometime later this month, but as of now, Samsung hasn't detailed plans around Android 16. With the Galaxy S25 series launching in January, we should know more early next year.
OPPO
OPPO just introduced the Find X8 Pro and Find X8 in global markets, and both devices run Android 15 out of the box. While there's no details on Android 16 just yet, we should have additional details once the public beta goes live sometime in Q1 2025.
Although ColorOS 15 just went live, OPPO is internally testing ColorOS 16, and will launch the version alongside Android 16 sometime in Q2 2025. At this point, there's no details on new features coming to the interface.
Vivo
Vivo's X200 and X200 Pro are going global later this month, and they also run Android 15 out of the box. Similar to ColorOS 15, there's no telling when Vivo will start rolling out Android 16-based Funtouch OS, but with the manufacturer doing a much better job in this area, it shouldn't take too long once the stable build becomes available in Q2 2025.
OnePlus
The OnePlus 13 is launching globally in January, and it will run OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15. OnePlus is usually good with beta software releases, and it tends to roll out public betas to its devices once they become available. It's a good bet that the OnePlus 13 will get the public beta sometime in Q1 2025, but there's no confirmation about that as yet — I talked to the manufacturer about the same, and will update once I know more.
Honor
Honor's had a busy year, and its Magic 7 series is all set to make its global debut in the coming weeks. The phone comes with MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15. Honor is leaning heavily into AI, and that is continuing with MagicOS 9.0, with the brand partnering with Google to deliver a suite of AI utilities. At this moment, there's no details of when Honor will kickstart its Android 16 beta, but it should be sometime after the initial public build becomes available.
Xiaomi
As is always the case with Xiaomi, the manufacturer has several devices launching in December and January. The Xiaomi 15 should make its global debut sometime this month, but ahead of that, the Redmi Note 14 is launching in India, and that device is coming with Android 14.
Xiaomi has been leveraging this strategy over the last three years to get out of delivering long-term software updates, and this is the main reason why I don't recommend Redmi Note devices any longer. If every other brand is able to launch phones with Android 15 out of the box, there's no reason why Xiaomi can't do the same.
Coming soon
There isn't much in the way of information regarding Android 16 at the moment, that will change over the coming weeks. Given the accelerated timeline, it will be interesting to see if the update will make its way to additional devices. If you're on an eligible Pixel, I wouldn't suggest installing Android 16 right now — there's no incentive to do so. Again, that should change once we get user-facing changes, and I'll update this post as soon as new builds go live.
