The First Release Of Android 16 Is Going To Be Very Underwhelming [Video]

Getting a new smartphone software update in the middle of the year is always going to feel weird, but with barely any headline functions and little to get excited over, is Android 16 going to suck? The short answer is: maybe, but here’s why.

Blame the Pixel 9…and the Pixel 10 (sort of)

The reason we have little to talk about in the base Android 16 update is mostly because of how Google handled the launch of the Pixel 9 series last year. Yes, last year’s phones are kind of the reason why things are so weird today.

So to recap: the Pixel 9 was unveiled in August 2024. That’s a few months ahead of the previous October-ish timeframe for Made by Google.

There are great reasons for Google’s decision. Most people will point to the usual September iPhone launch as a reason to get ahead of the opposition and stamp your mark on the market. Theories aside, the earlier-than-usual Pixel 9 launch had some knock-on effects.

Firstly, Android 15 wasn’t quite ready. The beta program was still running, so there likely wasn’t enough time to shoehorn it into the Pixel 9. You may remember that the Pixel 9 shipped with a marginally modified Android 14. Save a few Settings menu options and some exclusive apps, it was the same software build as we were running on Pixel 8 and older for the majority of the year leading up to the Pixel 9 release.

It’s not a great look when the company responsible for Android isn’t able to include the newest version of said software in its latest hardware release. You could argue that some of the changes to the internal Android and Pixel teams at Google are the reason for this, but we might never truly know.

Frustrations aside, that meant the Pixel 9 didn’t reach its full potential until a few months after release, when the stable Android 15 OTA was available in October 2024. An obvious conclusion is that Google doesn’t want to repeat that this year with the Pixel 10 launch.

Let’s take Samsung for example. The Korean tech giant almost always launches devices with the latest version of Android and One UI thrown on top. Other Samsung phones might have to wait a few months to be brought up to date, but the latest and greatest almost always come to market with the most recent Android version. The Galaxy S25 is a great example of this. It shipped with One UI 7 and Android 15, while other devices had to wait a few more months to get the update.

One of the key selling points of a Pixel is that Google provides day-one releases. The company can’t let that happen again this year. The short story is that the Pixel 10 must launch with the latest version of Android. The market dictates that this is essential to the company’s next top-tier phone launch.

Given that Android 15 was launched in October, the time available to prepare Android 16 is a few months less than usual. That means a reset or reframing has been needed to create a new update track or timeline for future releases that the company can adhere to and follow. Because it’s not quite as easy as just increasing or decreasing functionality output, this has created a bit of a schism.

Two parts to an Android update

We’ve known for some time that Android is coming in two distinct parts: an initial platform release with all SDK updates. Then later, a bigger visual overhaul.

The downside to this approach is that Android 16, or let’s call it “Android 16.1,” is a small update even when compared to the minor releases we’ve seen since Android 12 was launched almost 4 years ago. Google has been very insistent on building on that since it debuted in 2021. We know it’s time for a change, but huge UI overhauls take serious time and effort.

As for “Android 16.1,” we’ve been delving into each preview and beta update, and the reality is that changes are few and far between. Many are purely cosmetic; most are just refinements to existing functions that have been available on Pixel phones for several years.

To that end, the first update is, to put it mildly, going to be underwhelming. Very underwhelming in fact. There are no major changes. No headline additions. For all intents and purposes, it’s just bug fixes with a few tweaks thrown in for good measure.

Android 16 QPR1: Failing to keep cards close to your chest

An obvious problem is that Google has already played its hand by revealing the first post-release update for Android 16 – Android 16 QPR1.

It is already available to trial run as a beta with lots of visual and usability changes over the next stable version. Confusion aside, Android 16 QPR1, or let’s say “Android 16.2,” is a step in the right direction for Material You.

It’s based on what Google calls “Material 3 Expressive” design and, alongside the reintroduction of customization controls, is a breath of fresh air for Pixel. Most Pixel fans will undoubtedly be most excited about several key changes. Some of the most notable include fully custom Quick Settings, enhanced animations, better visuals, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more that you should check out if you haven’t already.

Based on release timelines, it’ll be available in September 2025 as part of a regular quarterly Pixel Drop. Whether it debuts on the Pixel 10 series remains to be seen, but it’s a very distinct possibility, given that the next phones are slated for an August launch once again this year.

If you can stomach the idea of a non-stable software build running on your device, you should probably flash that on your phone, get used to a better software experience, and prepare for the future of Android on Pixel phones. It is just that, though. The “future” is a few months away. Google’s own timeline has the first taste of Android 16 set for June.

This will undoubtedly be the most confusing release cycle we’ve ever seen on Android. Throughout the beta cycle, masses of people have complained about missing redesigns because of leaks of the next version. Google probably needs to explain things to avoid a mini PR mess when the first OTA begins rolling out and people begin to wonder where the visual overhaul is.

Without sugarcoating things, at least the first taste of Android 16 is going to be very underwhelming, but for good reason.

Add 9to5Google to your Google News feed.