The first preview version of Android 15 may be released on Thursday, February 15 if a comment from a recently discovered developer is to be believed.
It was originally posted on Google's Android Open Source Project website on February 13, although the page hosting the message has since been removed. If you go to the page right now, you will receive an error message. Luckily, 9To5Google has a screenshot of the comment and states, in no uncertain terms, that the “first developer preview is scheduled for February 15.” They even refer to it as “Android V,” which the publication explains is a reference to the system's codename, “Vanilla Ice Cream.”
Early versions of Android are usually exclusive to Pixel devices and 9To5Google believes this will be the case with the preview. Because it is primarily intended for developers, the build will likely not be released publicly due to software instability. That said, we hope to see people open the preview and spread all its content on the internet, revealing what Android 15 is capable of.
It is unknown what this first version of the operating system will bring; However, we can check out previous reports to give you an idea of what could be coming.
Features to expect
In December 2023, three hidden features were found in the files of a recent Android 14 beta that could appear to be for Android 15.
The first is called Community Space and allows users to add widgets to the lock screen. At the time of initial reporting, only Google Calendar, Google Clock, and the main Google app could be added, but we think there's a good chance more will be supported at launch. The second is the introduction of a battery health percentage readout similar to the one on the iPhone 15. It will give a very clear indication “of how much your phone's battery has degraded” compared to when it was fresh out of the box. box.
The third feature is called Private Space and, according to Android Police, may be Google's version of Samsung's Secure Folder. Hides apps on your smartphone away from prying eyes. This can be especially useful if you share a device with other people.
Then in January, more news emerged claiming that Android 15 could have a feature that allows users to effortlessly share wireless audio streams. On the surface, it sounds similar to Bluetooth Auracast, a unique way for Bluetooth LE Audio to stream content. We wouldn't be surprised if it was Bluetooth Auracast, considering it hasn't yet been widely adopted by smartphone manufacturers.
The latest update came in early February and revealed that Android 15 may soon require all apps in the Google Play Store to support an edge-to-edge mode, making it a mandatory setting. The supposed goal here is to better enable full screen viewing. Edge-to-edge technology is usually only seen in certain types of applications, such as video games. Navigation bars and thick black stripes at the top of screens could become a thing of the past as Google sets a new optimized standard for horizontal viewing on Android.
That's currently all we know about Android 15. Hopefully, one developer's mistake is just the beginning of Android 15 reveals. While we ask you to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.
