Android 15 May Arrive On Google Pixel Devices Later Than Expected

It's looking like owners of the brand spankin' new Google Pixel 9 will have to wait just a little longer for stable Android 15 to hit their phones. In an almost nonchalant way, Google has established (in the release notes for the Android Beta Exit update) that its latest and freshest OS will drop sometime in October. Since Android 15 is a BIG deal, we can probably expect a larger announcement to come in the following weeks.

Part of the whole interest in Android 15 (codenamed Vanilla Ice Cream) is in its absence. Folks had expected Google to release Android 15 along with the new Pixel 9 phones early this month. After all, Mountain View has normally paired new product roll-outs with new Android versions on the day of release. With Android 12 being the exception, Pixel 8 was paired with Android 18, Pixel 7 with Android 13... you get the idea.

Based on information in the Android 15 Beta Exit release notes, Google tells users opting out of the Android Beta program that, "if you are waiting for the Android 15 stable update, please ignore this OTA till Android 15 is available in October." At this point, that statement is as official as we've got, even if Google has commented very little on why Android 15 didn't ship in time with its new smartphones.

Of course, one of the biggest factors for this "delay" is the fact the Google moved up the Pixel 9 timeline from the initially (surprise, surprise) October launch to August. There are obviously a lot of moving cogs involved to cater to such a drastic shift, but it's not hard to think that the Android 15 roadmap, including two Developer, four Beta, then a final Stable phase, are more set in stone and less rigid. Android 15 is expected to be a major OS upgrade, so platform stability and bugs undoubtedly require greater attention.