Usually when Google unveils its latest Google Pixel flagship, one would expect it to come with a newly released version of Android right out of the box. However, that may not be the case this year. According to one rumor, the Pixel 9 series may end up running on Android 14 at launch.

This is according to a report by Android Headlines, which suggests that the issue has to do with Google releasing the Pixel 9 series earlier than originally expected. This is because the numbered Android models are usually released at the end of summer, whereas the Pixel phones are coming out in October. And that means the Pixel 9 may arrive a little too early to be bundled with Android 15.

The Google Pixel 9 will be announced at the Made by Google event on August 13; the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold should be officially released in about a week. Meanwhile, we don't have a firm release date for Android 15, but we do know that the last scheduled beta version rolled out a few weeks ago in the form of Android 15 Beta 4.

This means that the final version of the software could be released at any time, but without an announcement from Google itself, there is no way to know when that will be. After all, there have been two instances in the past few years where a new version of Android was not actually released until much later in the year, Android 12 and Android 14. So your guess as to the actual release date of Android 15 is as correct as ours.

Android Headlines does not specify the source of this information, so we do not know how accurate or legitimate this information is. However, Google seems to be nearing its timeline, and it is not hard to imagine that a new early release could put the Pixel 9 out in front of Android 15.

And it is also possible that Pixel 9 will launch with new software, regardless of when it is rolled out to older Pixel phones. This is because it makes much more sense to prepare the software for the new flagship than to worry about absolute fairness with the last three generations of Pixel phones.

If Android 15 launches right after the Pixel 9 launches, it would not be a good thing for Google. After all, some of us at Tom's Guide assumed that the launch date was moved up two months to allow for a closer relationship between the major Pixel and Android releases. If Google cannot properly align these timelines as Apple does with the new iPhone and iOS, then moving up the Pixel 9 launch would have been a wasted effort.

However, we won't know for sure until the Made by Google event two weeks later on August 13. Until then, check out the Pixel 9 and Android 15 hubs for the latest news and rumors.