How Android 16 quietly became Google’s best update in years

Name: How Android 16 quietly became Google’s best update in years
Uploaded: 2026-01-08T12:04:23+00:00
Channel: dbadmin
Description: When Android 16 landed on Pixels early last summer, it didn’t make much of a splash. To say that many of us were disappointed by what we saw — or what we didn’t see, to be fair — would be an understatement. Android 16 felt like Android 15.1, a minor upgrade with some interesting new

by dbadmin | Jan 8, 2026 | Android, Android 16, Features, Google, Google Pixel, Software Update

When Android 16 landed on Pixels early last summer, it didn’t make much of a splash. To say that many of us were disappointed by what we saw — or what we didn’t see, to be fair — would be an understatement. Android 16 felt like Android 15.1, a minor upgrade with some interesting new features, but nothing more.

A lot of what was promised with Android 16 didn’t come with that first release. Instead, it took a few months and a couple of quarterly updates, but it’s obvious to me now that Android 16 is the best Android version we’ve had in many years.