As you know, Google has been naming each new Android version with a dessert since Android 1.5 – Cupcake was released in 2009. Again, the company was doing this naming by moving forward in alphabetical order. For example, version 1.6 was called Donut and version 2.0 was called Eclair. So why did this cycle break?

Android broke the alphabetical order and said ‘Baklava’!

There was a surprise development for the new version of Google’s Android operating system. Instead of a dessert name starting with the letter ‘W’ for Android 16, the company chose ‘Baklava’, the world-famous dessert of Turkish cuisine. This unexpected decision had a great repercussion in the technology world.

Significant changes in Android’s development process may be one of the reasons behind this decision. Google has switched Android to a ‘trunk-based’ development model. This model aims to increase platform stability and integrate new features faster.

On the other hand, Android 16 could be released much earlier than expected, in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. This is a significant departure from Google’s usual August, September or October major Android version launches.

Comments left by Google engineers on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) also support this early launch date. For example, a patch related to the implementation of a new API in the Bluetooth stack points to the second quarter of 2025. This suggests that 25Q2 is not just an interim update, but a major release where new APIs can be introduced.

If Android 16 is indeed released in the second quarter of 2025, it could mean a simultaneous launch with the Google I/O event. This early release date could also signal the launch of next year’s Pixel phones with the latest version of Android.

The fact that Android 16 comes with the codename ‘Baklava’ is also seen as an indication that Google is adopting a global perspective. This decision highlights the diversity of the Android ecosystem while increasing the recognition of our culture around the world.