All products and promotions are independently selected by our experts. To help us provide free impartial advice, we will earn an affiliate commission if you buy something. Click here to learn more
Google has released its "biggest updates in years" with a dramatic new facelift, notifications that refresh in real-time, support for hearings, and much more. The Californian company is well ahead of schedule with this release, since new versions of Android typically launch at the tail-end of summer, something Google acknowledged in a blog post.
"This is the earliest Android has launched a major release in the last few years, which ensures you get the latest updates as soon as possible on your devices," wrote Seang Chau, Vice President of Android Platform. "Android 16 lays the foundation for our new Material 3 Expressive design, with features that make Android more accessible and easy to use."
But not every Android handset will be able to update to the all-new experience today.
Live Updates will automatically refresh, bringing the latest information about an ongoing process, like an Uber Eats delivery, a flight or train journey. It appears on the lock screen, or in the notification drop-down
GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
As usual, Google's own Pixel smartphones are at the front of the queue to receive the upgrade to Android 16.
The new software should arrive in the coming days, but if you want to speed things along, you can check manually by heading to Settings > System > Sofware Updates.
Google Pixel smartphones compatible with Android 16 are:
- Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
- Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel 9a
Google VP Seang Chau has promised that support for "more phone brands to come later this year." We already know that Samsung is testing many of the latest Andorid 16 features as part of its One UI 8 update, which is in beta now.
Other brands that rely on the Android operating system, like OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, to name a few, will likely start to roll-out in the coming months. Google has confirmed the following devices will support the beat release.
- HONOR
- iQOO
- Lenovo
- OnePlus
- OPPO
- realme
- vivo
- Xiaomi
Upgrade to latest Google Pixel 9a for under £15
Mobiles.co.uk has a stellar deal on the Google Pixel 9a. For just £14.99 per month, you'll take delivery of the latest handset launched by Google with 500GB of 5G mobile data and unlimited calls and text messages. This two-year plan comes courtesy of iD Mobile, which relies on the Three network for its signal nationwide. There's a £49 upfront fee, but the total cost of the contract is just £429.76 — that's £69 more affordable than buying the handset alone
Pixel 9a
$14.99
What have you got to look forward to? The most eye-catching new addition is the Material 3 Expressive design.
This new look doubles down on the personalisation first introduced in 2021 with the Material You design aesthetic that arrived with Android 12. Improved themes will now roll out to every corner of the operating system, and Google has introduced new font options too.
The Californian company confirmed that it's "working to bring these visual choices across Google apps like Google Photos, Fitbit and Gmail" too, so when you select a new theme, you'll see the visual changes across the Android operating system and your favourite applications.
For those who don't know, the clever theme option built into Android leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to choose complementary hues from your chosen wallpaper and paint this colour across the operating system, from the incoming notifications to the settings menu and core applications like Messages.
Google has confirmed plans to expand Material 3 Expressive into many of its own applications, including Google Photos, Fitbit and Gmail
GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
Third-party developers aren't always keen to adopt this system, so don't be surprised if Facebook keeps its trademark shade of blue throughout its applications, no matter what shades you've picked for your Android operating system.
At least with the latest update, Google is embracing its customisable themes within all of its own apps. Material 3 Expressive will also bring "natural, springy animations" across the operating system.
Google has added playful animations and haptics throughout Android 16, including a "springy" new look when you swipe-to-dismiss a notification
GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
For example, when you swipe to dismiss a notification, the others nearby subtly move too, as if you're pulling one free from the stack. Google has added haptic feedback to these expressive animations too, so you should feel a subtle tap, click, or rumble when these animations play.
According to Mindy Brooks, Vice President of Product Management and User Experiences for Android, these new animations are designed to "bring a moment of delight to everyday routines".
It's not just about the visuals, either. Android 16 will summon Live Update widgets that surfaces real-time updates from within applications, so you can track a delivery at a glance on the homescreen or from the lockscreen
GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
But Android 16 isn't just about the visual changes.
Google is also bringing Live Updates widgets that'll surface real-time progress from within apps, like Uber Eats or Google Maps, to your homescreen. That means you won't need to hunt inside applications to find information about ongoing processes, like an upcoming delivery.
You'll also be able to customise the Quick Settings menu to squeeze in more of your favourite actions, like a shortcut for the Torch and Do Not Disturb too.
If you plug an Android 16 smartphone or tablet into an external monitor, your mobile apps will respond like a traditional laptop or desktop PC. You'll be able to open, move, and resize multiple windows for easier multitasking on your tablet. You can even group together multiple apps to streamline your workflow.
Google has also tweaked the haptics, which respond to the movement and speed of your swipes on the volume and phone brightness sliders.
Hearing aids also enjoy improvements in the latest update, continuing the work that Samsung has done with Auracast. Control hearing devices from your device for a simpler experience across different hearing device brands.
Save £300 on the Pixel 9 Pro on Amazon
The Google Pixel 9 Pro launched last year with a £999 price tag. It's equipped with a 6.3-inch OLED display, custom-designed Google Tensor G4 chip, and a triple rear camera system with a 50MP main sensor. Running Android 15 with a promised seven years of updates, it includes Gemini AI, fast-charging, and IP68 water resistance — offering a future-proof Android experience with durable design and advanced AI
Currys has price-matched this £699 deal on the Pixel 9 Pro, but Argos is still charging £999
Google Pixel 9 Pro
$999
$699
Material 3 Expressive is also coming to Wear OS, which is used on smartwatches and fitness trackers. For the first time, Wear OS will benefit from the same dynamic colour-theming as your Android handset. Choose a favourite colour to paint every corner of your smartphone, and it'll be applied to a paired smartwatch — altering the watch face and every menu in the system.
Under the bonnet, updating to Wear OS 6 also promises a 10% boost to battery life, thanks to several performance optimisations — no small feat given that you'll still be able to use features like an always-on display and power-hungry sensors, like heart-rate tracking and skin temperature throughout the day.
Wear OS 6 has been overhauled to "stretch to hug the display", so that it looks good on square and circular screens alike
GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
Google has redesigned elements of Wear OS to work better with circular displays. Buttons and notifications will now "stretch to hug the display", so everything should be easily legible at a glance no matter the size — or shape — of the screen on your wrist-worn gadget.
"Tiles are also more engaging, providing quick access to information or actions that matters most, like texting your favourite contacts or starting a workout," Android VP Mindy Brooks explains in a blog post.
Android 16 and its stylish new Material 3 Expressive design is expected to launch in the coming months. But it could be months before you get a chance to enjoy these new features and customisation.
Pixel smartphones and smartwatches, which are designed and built by Google, will be first in line to receive the Android 16 and Wear OS 6 updates. However, other Android device manufacturers will take longer to follow.
That's because many of these brands have their own operating system design and unique features that must be tested with the newest version of Android — adding months of additional development that can only begin after the final version has been released by Google.
For example, Samsung has its own design language, dubbed One UI, that combats the strain of larger displays by shifting the interactive elements to the lower third of the screen. It recently announced a swathe of new features coming to One UI in the coming months, and it's unlikely to throw-out all of that work to adopt the new look previewed in Material 3 Expressive from Google.
That said, we'd expect to see some of the new animations, theme options, and Live Update widgets introduced with Android 16 crop-up in a future version of the operating system.
Looking back to the introduction of Materal You — the last major design overhaul to Android — in February 2022, Google hoped that some of the biggest manufacturers, like Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi and others, would adopt the new look by later that same year.
In reality, it wasn't until mid-2023 and beyond that Material You started to appear in third-party versions of the Android operating system. With Android 16 expected to begin rolling out to Google Pixel devices "later this year", we'd expect to see Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and other Android manufacturers looking to start developing their version of the new operating system from late summer or early autumn.
Google reveals all-new design coming to phones and smartwatches with Android 16
This is very different to iOS, the rival operating system that powers every iPhone.
When Apple introduces a new version of iOS, it will be accessible on millions of devices virtually overnight. And it quickly becomes the dominant version of the operating system.
For example, when iOS 7 — a redesign that permeated every corner of the software — arrived in September 2013, it was installed on 18% of all iPhone models worldwide within 24 hours. In a few weeks, iOS 7 was running on more than 60% of devices, and within a matter of months, it had reached 85% marketshare.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Freely strikes deal with Roku to bring Freeview replacement to more TVs
- Best VPN deals
- Some Fire TV Sticks will lose access to Netflix next month
- Best Sky Glass deals
- Apple confirms 3 iPhones will miss out on iOS 26
According to Statcounter, a meagre 10% of all Android devices worldwide are currently using Android 15 ...despite that version being due to be superseded by Android 16 in a matter of weeks.
As such, it could be a while before your Android handset is updated with the features introduced with Android 15, let alone the shiny new design coming with its successor.
If you want to receive the latest features and designs directly from Google, there's really no better option than a Pixel smartphone. Google refreshed its flagship devices at the end of last year — Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold — and launched a new entry into its separate budget range, Pixel 9a, a few months ago. All of these devices ship with the latest version of Android and are guaranteed to recieve updates for seven years starting from when the device first became available on the Google Store.
Most Read
