Android 15 now requires phones to have at least 32GB storage

Google has raised the minimum RAM and storage requirements for Android phones with version 15. These apply to Android 15 phones shipping with Google's Mobile Services (GMS). 

For the first time since 2022, the minimum storage requirements now stipulate at least 32GB of storage, with 75% reserved for user data and apps. According to Android Authority, phones with less than 2GB of RAM will also be exempt from getting the new OS. 

Phones with 2GB or 3GB of RAM will be required to enable Android's low RAM optimizations to gain certification. Phones with 4GB of RAM or higher can opt-in to the optimizations. Google also requires that new chipsets support Vulkan 1.3 or higher. 

Devices running Android 15 must include Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine (ANGLE) libraries as replacements for legacy OpenGL ES drivers. It will allow future devices with depreciated OpenGL support to run older apps. 

There is a workaround to this: phones using the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) branch of the OS can technically still release phones that don't meet system requirements but won't get certification or access to Google apps such as Google Play Store. 

In addition to the new hardware requirements, phones must allow users to opt-in to share contact information with Android's Emergency Location Service (ELS). Google also needs OEMs to have a transparent notice of the information shared with the service.