Google is officially moving Android 15 to its next milestone with the release of the first Android 15 Beta. The company behind Android shared the news today in a blog post, releasing some details about the new features, as well as when it expects to hit platform stability in the 15th iteration of the Android operating system.
Android 15, of course, is the next version of Google’s phone-based operating system, and it will continue the ongoing trend of offering new AI features for Android users to take advantage of. The Android 15 Beta will only be available on select Pixel devices at the start, with the list of supported devices including:
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Pixel 5a
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Pixel 6
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Pixel 6 Pro
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Pixel 6a
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Pixel 7
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Pixel 7 Pro
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Pixel 7a
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Pixel Tablet
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Pixel Fold
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Pixel 8
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Pixel 8 Pro
Android 15 has been available in the Android Developer Preview since February, but now Google is opening the virtual floodgates to get early adopters involved, too. Some new features coming to Android 15 include an edge-to-edge display mode for apps by default, which should make it easier for developers to create apps to show content behind the system bars.
Google is also upgrading the NFC experience on Android 15 to provide a more seamless and reliable experience for tap to pay. A big change, too, will allow for better archiving and unarchiving of apps, which should help with cleaning up your Android device, though it will still require some input from developers there. You can get a look at all the Android 15 features we know about so far, but most of them seem to be aligned with making the operating system more efficient for users.
Beta releases are expected to continue throughout the rest of April, May, and June, though Google says it hopes to reach platform stability by the end of June. This would be the lineup for a fall release for Android 15, which is also when we expect to see the latest Pixel devices becoming available, based on past releases.
Of course, Google is still playing the full list of new features close to its chest, and we don’t expect to learn more about everything the tech giant has in store until Google I/O later this year. But if you’re interested in testing out the latest version of the Android operating system as Google expands it, you can download the Android 15 Beta to applicable devices starting today.
