Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo surprised the Android world with an unexpected move: Vivo is the first major manufacturer to update one of its phones to the stable Android 15. This means that Vivo beat Android’s own company Google and industry giants Samsung and Oppo/OnePlus.
Surprising availability
The official launch of Funtouch OS 15 was planned for today, September 30, 2024. However, many users reported the availability of the update a few days earlier. The devices receiving the update include the Vivo X Fold3 Pro, the Vivo X100 series, and the iQOO 12 (the latter two in the beta test program).
It is interesting to note that Google presented its new Pixel phones from the Google Pixel 9 series for the first time without updating to the new Android version at the same time.
Funtouch OS 15: Vivo’s custom Android 15
My vivo X Fold3 Pro just received Android 15 update.
Crazy how Vivo is the 1st major brand to be rolling out this out to their flagships. Not even Google Pixel has stable update yet.
Hoping for a just as good of an experience with FuntouchOS 15. Good job @Vivo_India. #Android15 pic.twitter.com/f4oSkKxfy1
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) September 27, 2024
Vivo packs Android 15 in the form of its in-house operating system Funtouch OS 15. The update not only brings the standard Android 15 functions but also some features developed by Vivo:
- AI Eraser: an AI-powered image editing tool designed to work like an eraser, similar to Google Photos’ Magic Editor
- Shadow removal: Another function for improving photos
- Live Transcribe: A real-time transcription tool for improved accessibility
Implications for the industry
Vivo has pulled off a real coup with this early release. It calls into question Google’s previous dominance in Android updates, as its own Pixel phones have of course always been given preference for the new software. But who knows: perhaps this will encourage other manufacturers to speed up their update processes.
While Google Pixel users will probably have to wait until mid-October for the official Android 15 update, it remains to be seen how other manufacturers will react to Vivo’s move.
What do you think of Android 15? Which feature are you most looking forward to? And what do you think about Vivo being faster than Google itself?
