It’s been just shy of two months since Android 15 arrived for Google’s Pixel lineup, and to the lack of surprise to anyone who ran any of its many developer preview and beta builds, the reaction has been pretty lukewarm. It’s not a bad update, of course, but considering the lengthy testing period — running from February through the first publicly released build for a smartphone in October — had some users scratching their heads as to what was even new on their device. It’s not a new phenomenon for Android, but it’s certainly a notable one.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some cool features, of course. As AP’s Google Editor Taylor Kerns wrote about in his review, a handful of quality-of-life improvements felt like just enough to justify hitting that update button as soon as possible. Private space, for example, finally brought a fan-favorite feature to all Android phones, delivering a locked folder for your apps that also segments user data away from the rest of your phone. Regardless of the severity of your use case for private space, it feels like one of those features that will feel like a must-have in just a few years.
Other improvements include changes to how Android works on big screens — always good to see, no matter how many times Google changes its mind about the future of tablets. App pairs should’ve been included in every variant of Android years ago, and it’s good to see them here. Likewise, app archiving feels essential to me, especially as someone who travels regularly, but not extensively. Being able to archive a travel-focused app I don’t need regularly (like Airbnb) is a great addition.
Really though, it’s OEMs that are making the most of this year’s annual (soon-to-be biannual) update. With One UI 7, Samsung has an entire new look and feel for its smartphones, and while the changes fade into the background pretty quickly — and are more than a little iOS-inspired — it’s looking really promising in its earliest stages. OxygenOS 15 isn’t quite as impressive, with its focus on AI, though I can’t help but be impressed that OnePlus managed to scrape back a few gigabytes worth of space.
And hey, if we’re counting updates, Google did have a pretty big one in store for its own Pixel phones — it just arrived a few months later than Android 15. The company rolled out QPR1 this week, delivering a surprisingly beefy upgrade to both modern and older Pixels alike. From Call Screen improvements to some very cool Android 15 also should’ve represented the final OS launch for the Pixel 6, but this week, got an extension through late 2026. Not bad!
So, I’m curious. Has your phone received Android 15 yet? Maybe you’re rocking a Pixel 9 running the latest Feature Drop. Maybe you’re using a Galaxy S24 Ultra with One UI 7’s first beta. Or maybe you’re stuck waiting for your favorite OEM to drop an update. Either way, let us know in the poll below, and sound off in the comments with your expanded Android 15 thoughts.