Google confirms lengthy wait for Android 15

Google has let slip that its next major OS update, Android 15, won’t be arriving until October.

We recently reported on claims that Android 15 was still some way away from being ready, and was set to roll out in its traditional October launch window. Now Google itself appears to have confirmed this.

As Android Authority points out, the company has quietly updated the release notes for its Android Beta Exit update, advising those waiting for the Android 15 stable update to “ignore this OTA until Android 15 is available in October”.

While it’s not exactly a direct comment from Google admitting that its next OS has been delayed, it still stands as a form of confirmation straight from the horse’s mouth. All of which is just a little awkward for Google.

We could very well have put a more positive spin on this story, to the tune of ‘Google confirms Android 15 on track for October’. After all, Android always launches around this time, with last year’s Android 14 landing on October 4, the same day that Google announced the Pixel 8.

But that’s precisely the problem here. Google announced the Pixel 9 on August 22, just shay of two months early. Some of the phones have been on the market for the best part of a week now, yet all have shipped with last year’s Android 14 on board.

In truth, our reviewer wasn’t too bothered about this delay. In our 4.5-star review for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, we called the phone “one of the most exciting Pixels in a long time”, and the Android 15 delay didn’t receive anything more than a brief mention.

The Pixel 9 series brings a sharpened up design, some helpful new AI tools, excellent cameras, and brilliant displays. What’s more, with seven years of updates guaranteed, there’s more than enough time to receive Android 15 and a number of other Google OS versions after that.