The new Pixel phones aren’t just a great deal for people looking for new Pixel phones. They also come with the next major version of Android, which means new features and other benefits for older Pixel owners. But this year, you’ll have to wait a little longer. The Pixel 9 family ships with Android 14, and Android 15 won’t be available until October at the earliest.
That’s a bit of a shame, as it gives the new phones a less impactful launch and means current owners will have to make do with the Android 15 betas that have been released in recent months. Don’t jump on this beta just yet, though: to exit the beta and upgrade to Android 15 (or downgrade to Android 14), you’ll need to wipe your phone’s data.
Android Authority has spotted an update message for beta users, confirming that the final version of Android 15 won’t be available until October. It’s currently slated for release on the Pixel 6 series and newer (including the Pixel tablet). Given that fast, “clean” software is one of the hallmarks of Google’s Pixel phones, even a month’s delay is a serious disadvantage for users.
Why the long hiatus? Google isn’t saying, but Android Authority believes it’s to increase the stability of the new version of the operating system. Given how deeply Google is trying to integrate Gemini AI into the system, and thus push users to upgrade expensively once the free trial ends, it makes sense.
That being said, I wonder if Android fans would prefer a faster upgrade to version 15, or a delayed upgrade with more AI that Google has been talking about this year. I don’t have to guess which one I would choose.
