The Android 15 developer preview is finally here, and long with it, Google unveiled a new logo for the new version. In contrast to the big jump from Android 13 to Android 14, which switched from a generic Material You-style shape with a 13 in it to a full on NASA badge, Google didn’t make a big tweak for Android 15.
The Android 15 icon and badge is still very much space-themed, turning the previous round shape into an upside-down triangle and switching out the orange accents for a more familiar, Android-y green. Rather than an oversized upside-down bugdroid, we’re looking at a much smaller version of the Android mascot, aligned at the bottom of the triangle, facing away from us towards a door-like shape in the distance. Like the Android 14 badge, there are still stars sprinkled all across the Android 15 logo.
The small redesign begs the question whether Google now wants to switch over to a new space-themed era for Android or if it could mean something different. When Android 14’s logo dropped, many were quick to assume that it was supposed to be a nod to satellite connectivity, support for which was indeed included in Android 14. Even though satellite connectivity saw a lot of hype last year, it hasn’t yet become anywhere close to mainstream.
It’s possible that the space theme is a sign that Google is committed to satellite connectivity, but it might also simply be a design decision to keep things consistent between the two releases. The small redesign of the Android 15 badge could have implications for the Easter egg game, which you can access by repeatedly tapping on your Android version number in system settings.
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In Android 14, the Easter egg is a mini-game where you can steer a small spaceship across the vast emptiness of space. Given the similarity of the badges, we could potentially only see a small refresh of the minigame. Google has done something similar in the past with Android 5 Lollipop and Android 6 Marshmallow. Both offered a Flappy Bird-style minigame, where you need to navigate obstacles by tapping your screen to move a bugdroid up and down. In Lollipop, you need to navigate between lollipops, while in Marshmallow, these are replaced with marshmallows on sticks.
In the end, it’s nice to see some consistency, though it remains to be seen what it will mean in the long run. Who knows, maybe the Android 14 spacesuit mascot will be joined by a friend in similar attire once stable Android 15 is here.
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