Last month, Google quietly revealed that Android 15 would be arriving in October as part of its release notes for the Android Beta Exit update, which is available to people who have been testing the operating system ahead of its release. Now, a new report has revealed exactly when Android 15 could be rolling out for Pixel devices: October 15.
This is according to Android Headlines, which reports that the Android 15 release date for Pixel 6 and later phones will come 42 days after the OS source code was published to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). If correct, this would mark the longest delay between the release of AOSP and the update being pushed to users, surpassing Android 12's 15-day delay.
The hope is that this extended wait time will lead to Android 15 being far less buggy and more stable when it eventually comes out compared to previous versions.
While the date is a pretty good fit (Android 15 will be released on the 15th of the month), it's worth taking it with a grain of salt, as we recommend with all unofficial leaks. Android Headlines hasn't revealed how it discovered the October 15 date, and admits that the date could be pushed back if Google's bug-fixing efforts don't go as planned.
It’s also worth noting that October 15 is reported to be the Pixel release date for Android 15. Samsung, OnePlus, and other Android device makers will still be preparing their own versions of Android 15 to roll out to their phones. However, given the long delay since its release on AOSP, it’s highly likely that these non-Google releases could follow more quickly after the Pixel launch compared to previous years.
However, the wait will be worth it. Based on the beta versions that have been released so far, some very interesting features have been shown, such as…
An increase in battery life
Android OS updates also include subtle tweaks and optimizations that can have a significant effect on how your phone performs. One such update was revealed by Android Platform Engineering VP Dave Burke on the Android Faithful podcast earlier this year; he explained that devices running Android 15 can switch to low-power sleep mode about 50% faster than devices running Android 14.
The result of this is that Google has been able to see up to three extra hours between recharging the device. Not all users will notice such a huge increase in battery life, but even an hour (or just half an hour extra) between recharges could be a huge boon for users, especially if it's a free upgrade.
Android 15 should see the return of lock screen widgets (we haven't seen them since the days of Android 4) and the possible addition of a common space that allows multiple users to share access to apps on the lock screen.
The downside is that we expect the selection of apps that support this feature at launch to not be the most widespread, perhaps limited to tools like Google Calendar and Google Clock, though the delay between the AOSP release and the Pixel launch may mean that some other services will be ready to support lock screen widgets at launch.
Private space
Taking a cue from Samsung's Secure Folder feature, Android 15 adds a native version called Private Space. It's a folder for apps that requires a password, PIN, or biometrics to open. Apps in this folder will be completely hidden from anyone who can't open them.
Gemini Updates
Google's Gemini AI is also getting some improvements in Android 15. Ask Photos makes it easier to search for old photos with more natural language and even lets you answer questions based on photos you've taken.
There's also a new Gemini overlay that can answer questions about what you see on the screen. While Gemini Nano will be an on-device version of Gemini that doesn't need to share your information with a cloud, making it more private.
