Are you still excited about Android’s annual updates?

I’m not sure anyone expected October to be such a busy month for Android news. In addition to several court decisions that could have major implications for the future of Google’s mobile OS, we’ve seen leaked Android 16 features, the first glimpses of Samsung’s upcoming One UI 7 update, and of course the full, stable version of Android 15. But the biggest ones the news may have come around Halloween, when Google quietly confirmed major changes to how and when they release major OS updates.

In case you missed the news, Google will release two versions of the SDK next year: one in Q2 2025 and another smaller version in the usual Q4 slot. While you’ll have to read between the lines a bit to understand the implications of this announcement, this means the full launch of Android 16 won’t happen until next summer, with a second version of Android 16.1 possibly arriving in the fall. Say goodbye to waiting for endless beta periods because your Pixel 9 will have a new version before your Pixel 10 hits store shelves.

A few years ago this would have been stunning news among Android faithful, but this week it was like any other news, and I think it’s the result of a major shift in the way the Android community thinks about the OS. updates. Since Android 12 and the release of Material You, we’ve seen three major annual updates that have done little to please casual consumers or, frankly, even enthusiasts. While we’ve seen many welcome changes and improvements, for better or worse, Android has reached a stage of maturity. From now on, a lot can change.

Of course, all of this is compounded by Google’s decade of rethinking how and when software updates reach users. Unlike Apple, which still keeps updated app designs and additional features tied to the September release each year, Google delivers the vast majority of its changes through Play Store updates or through Play Services and server-side updates. If Google decides to tweak the visual design of its calculator or contacts apps, you won’t have to wait for a single patch in a few months, and the update will appear on your phone when it’s ready to use.

It’s not just the way Android is updated that makes a full OS update seem a little more boring than before, although that’s also a consequence of Google moving away from “stock” Android builds. With the Pixel series featuring more custom software than ever, virtually every OEM large and small is tailoring their OS to suit their needs. There’s no longer a stock Android device that you’re likely to encounter; you choose between custom enhancements from Samsung, OnePlus, Asus, Motorola and, yes, even Google.

On the one hand, this may disappoint the promise of an early Android 16 release. On the other hand, it means that our smartphone experience is constantly changing and improving, without having to wait for major improvements to roll out once a year. This makes Android even more exciting, in my opinion, spread out a little more evenly over the full 12 months. And hey, that doesn’t mean Android doesn’t feel exciting when a new version number comes out. Even smaller steps forward (like last month’s release) can contain many small quality of life improvements.

But, as always, I’m curious what AP readers think. Are you still excited about annual Android updates as they currently exist? Maybe you’re excited to see what the OEM you like will do with new Google builds, or maybe you’re just excited about the Pixel-exclusive features over everything else. Or maybe the level of anticipation around Christmas has left you behind, leaving only a modern, mature operating system in its place. Let us know in the poll and comments below.