It's software update season, folks.
Google confirmed on Tuesday that Android 16, the next release of its mobile operating system (and, confusingly for some people around my age, one of the best Dragon Ball Z characters) will launch in June. It brings plenty of new Gemini AI features, as well as a refresh to the user interface that's rolling out to Pixel devices first.
Speaking of devices, not every Android device on Earth will support Android 16. You need to make sure you have a new enough phone to download the update when it launches this summer. So, which phones will support Android 16 at launch?
Every Pixel phone that supports Android 16
It's a little tough to definitively list every single Android phone that will support Android 16, since there are approximately 10 million different Android phone models on the market at any given time. However, at the very least, we know which Google Pixel models will support it:
Pixel 6
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 6a
Pixel 7
Pixel 7 Pro
Pixel 7a
Pixel 8
Pixel 8 Pro
Pixel 8a
There are a bunch of other Android manufacturers, including some companies that don't even really release phones in the U.S. market. Of course, the most notable Android phone maker is Samsung. According to a site called Android Update Tracker, Samsung Galaxy S phones going back to the S22 should get Android 16, but don't count on anything older than that getting it.
What Samsung phones will support Android 16
Obviously, we'll know more about device support once Android 16 is fully out there and not in beta testing. However, based on what we know so far, we're confident the following Samsung smartphones will also support Android 16 when it launches later this spring:
Galaxy S25
Galaxy S25+
Galaxy Z Fold6
Galaxy Z Flip6
Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition
Galaxy S24
Galaxy S24+
Galaxy S24 Ultra
Galaxy Z Fold5
Galaxy Z Flip5
Galaxy S22
Galaxy S22+
Galaxy S22 Ultra
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S23+
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Galaxy A16
Galaxy A16 5G
Galaxy A26 5G
Galaxy A36 5G
Galaxy A15
Galaxy A15 5G
Galaxy A25 5G
Galaxy A35 5G
This is only a partial list. If you don't see your phone, check Samsung to see if your phone is still getting active security updates. That doesn't guarantee your phone will support Android 16, but it's definitely more likely.
Other phones that will get Android 16
In addition to Samsung and Pixel phones, a variety of other smartphones will also support Android 16. While we don't have an exact list, the Android developer blog mentions specific brands that are eligible for the Android 16 beta. If you have a relatively new phone from one of the following brands, then you're likely to get access to Android 16 sooner than later. We're also including Motorola, which runs on the Android OS.
Motorola
Hono
IQOO
Lenovo
OnePlus
OPPO
realme
Sharp
Vivo
Xiaomi
