One of the biggest disappointments of the Pixel 9 series was that it launched without Android 15. Launching a new Pixel with the latest version of Android has been a long-standing tradition, but it seemed as though Android 15 just wasn’t ready for prime time. But almost a month after the Pixel 9 launch event, we might finally know when the update will be arriving.
According to Android Headlines, Android 15 could start rolling out to Pixel phones on October 15 — almost two months after the Pixel 9 went on sale. The site hasn’t revealed where it obtained this date, so we can’t comment on its legitimacy, but it does match up with what we’ve heard about Android 15 so far.
It’s hard to gauge when Google will release a new version of Android, because the release window can fluctuate. Historically the new software arrived in late summer, at the end of August or start of September. But in recent years we’ve seen it get pushed back to October — which happened to Android 12 and Android 14.
Google confirmed that Android 15 was finished earlier this month, and was being sent to the Android Open Source Project. This usually coincides with a general release to Pixels, though this year Google said that Pixels would get the software “in the coming weeks”. An October rollout would fit into that promise, and would match rumors we could be looking at an October launch.
More importantly, October 15 is around the time we expected the Pixel 9 to launch before Google pushed the release date forward by two months. If Google hadn’t done this, then it seems like Pixel 9 and Android 15 would have launched concurrently as has always been the way.
Google hasn’t confirmed anything just yet, but it means those of you eagerly awaiting the launch of Android 15 will have to draw upon some extra patience for another few weeks. As for anyone without a Pixel phone, your guess on when Android 15 will arrive is as good as ours.
Android 15 is set to come with a bunch of new features, including a new Private Space for securing sensitive apps, satellite connectivity for compatible phones, high quality webcam support, new in-app camera controls, new ways of securing sensitive notifications and so many more small, but crucial, quality of life changes.
