Android 16 update for Pixel 9 Pro and other Google phones now available: Public beta with new features awaits
Google has released the first public beta version of Android 16 today, two months after the developer beta was made available back in November. Owners of Google smartphones from the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series (starting at $649 on Amazon) can now sign up for the beta program and get a sneak peek at the next major operating system version. The beta is also available for the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.
As usual, beta software does contain some bugs, which is why it's highly recommended to create a full backup of all data before installing the Android 16 update on a smartphone. Furthermore, it might not be the smartest idea to install the update on a primary device or daily driver. This initial beta release only introduces a few new features as Google focuses on the technical groundwork for the latest Android version. More significant changes and big features are likely to be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the final release.
According to Google's updated timeline, the release of Android 16 is already scheduled for the second quarter of 2025, which means that the update should arrive by the end of June. The first public beta introduces live notifications, which are similar to those on iPhones and are continuously updated in order to show the latest football scores or the estimated arrival time of an Uber, for instance.
In Android 16, apps must work in both portrait and landscape mode and automatically adjust to the orientation of larger displays found in foldable smartphones and tablets. Apps with unsightly black bars on the left and right are no longer permitted. Android 16 also adds support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, which can render virtually lossless 10-bit videos at data rates up to 2 Gbps.
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