Android 15 Pixel update officially launching in October [U]

With Beta 4.2 two weeks ago, Google has finished testing Android 15 and is already moving on to QPR1. However, a new report today says Android 15 will not roll out to Pixel devices until October.

Update: The Android 15 Beta 4.2 to Android 14 downgrade message (via Android Authority) confirms that the stable launch of Android 15 won’t happen until October.

NOTE: If you are waiting for the Android 15 stable update, please ignore this OTA till Android 15 is available in October.

According to Android Authority, the Android 15 Pixel update won’t be available until October, “possibly even in the middle of the month.” The publication is confident it won’t arrive next month, with Android 15 “seemingly being withheld to improve its stability.”

If that’s the case, the Pixel 9 series (and all other phones) should see Android 14 with the September 2024 security patch next month.

With Android 15 Beta 4 serving as the “last scheduled update” — with that phrasing allowing for patches — in July, some assumed it could be available as early as August. The expectation then shifted to September, especially after Google released Beta 4.2 and provided instructions on waiting for the “final public stable release of Android 15 (AP3A) coming soon.”

Meanwhile, Google is already testing Android 15 QPR1 ahead of a December release.

As of Beta 4.2, which has since been released for the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL, Android 15 is fairly stable on our end. As such, the delay is surprising.

It comes as the Pixel 9 series is shipping with Android 14, with Google backporting some features introduced during the 15 Beta. Android 15 itself is not the biggest update, but there are some big additions like Private space, a new Material You volume panel, and tweaks to the widgets picker.

Meanwhile, AA also reports that Android 15 will hit the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) next week. While that milestone usually coincides with the Pixel release, the big exception was a 15-day gap between Android 12’s source code release and the Pixel update. This year’s gap looks to be quite far in advance.