In-display fingerprint sensors have become commonplace in virtually all Android smartphones, for better or for worse, and five years later...

Google may be working on bringing Quick Share to iOS and macOS, enabling file sharing between Android phones, iPhones, and MacBooks.

Two Android releases in 2025

Next year, we’ll have a major release in Q2 and a minor release in Q4, both of which will include new developer APIs. The Q2 major release will be the only release in 2025 to include behavior changes that can affect apps. We’re planning the major release for Q2 rather than Q3 to better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can get the major release of Android sooner.

The Q4 minor release will pick up feature updates, optimizations, and bug fixes since the major release. It will also include new developer APIs, but will not include any app-impacting behavior changes.

Outside of the major and minor Android releases, our Q1 and Q3 releases will provide incremental updates to help ensure continuous quality. We’re actively working with our device partners to bring the Q2 release to as many devices as possible.

What this means for your apps

With the major release coming in Q2, you’ll need to do your annual compatibility testing a few months earlier than in previous years to make sure your apps are ready. Major releases are just like the SDK releases we have today, and can include behavior changes along with new developer APIs – and to help you get started, we’ll soon begin the developer preview and beta program for the Q2 major release.

The minor release in Q4 will include new APIs, but, like the incremental quarterly releases we have today, will have no planned behavior changes, minimizing the need for compatibility testing. To differentiate major releases (which may contain planned behavior changes) from minor releases, minor releases will not increment the API level. Instead, they'll increment a new minor API level value, which will be accessed through a constant that captures both major and minor API levels. A new manifest attribute will allow you to specify a minor API level as the minimum required SDK release for your app. We’ll have an initial version of support for minor API levels in the upcoming Q2 developer preview, so please try building against the SDK and let us know how this works for you.

When planning your targeting for 2026, there’s no change to the target API level requirements and the associated dates for apps in Google Play; our plans are for one annual requirement each year, and that will be tied to the major API level only.

According to a new report, Samsung's Android 15 beta is potentially just a couple of weeks away, arriving in mid-November.

Android 16 is launching months earlier than usual. Google says it's coming in Q2 of 2025, when usually major releases happen in Q3 or Q4.

• Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• Flatter display
• Larger 6000mAh battery
• Ultrasonic instead of optical fingerprint scanner
• IP69 rating for protection from high pressure liquids
• Larger/better vibration motor
• Runs ColorOS 15 based on Android 15

Their previous flagship the R8s pro only gets 2 OS updates which is a deal breaker for me.

Another new leak reveals some of the new features coming in Samsung's One UI 7 update, which is based on Android 15.

During its latest earnings call, Samsung hinted at the launch of Galaxy S25, the idea of a cheaper foldable, and a delay for its XR device.