Java 25, an LTS (long-term support) version, is now at release candidate (RC) stage with general availability scheduled for September 16.

The RC release is the first of two, with the second set for August 21. The feature set is frozen and the only changes between now and release should be critical bug fixes.

Java 25 has 17 new features, six of which are at some level of preview. It also removes support for 32-bit x86, with the team [1]stating that "the cost of maintaining this port outweighs the benefits," considering that most users with x86 CPUs can run 64-bit apps. Other 32-bit ports, particularly ARM32, are not affected.

[2]

New features include:

Flexible constructor bodies, meaning that statements can appear before an explicit constructor invocation. The feature was in preview in JDK 24 and is now finalized without change. Although a modest improvement, the [3]JEP (Java Enhancement Proposal) explains that this expands the set of legal Java code and "there may be a period of pain as tools are updated".

Key Derivation Functions is a new API for cryptographic algorithms, needed as a further building block for supporting post-quantum cryptography – the problem being that quantum computing makes previously secure algorithms vulnerable to attack.

Scoped Values are thread variables which are an alternative to the existing thread-local variables and [4]fix the "three inherent design flaws" of unconstrained mutability, unbounded lifetime, and expensive inheritance. Thread-local variables remain but developers are encouraged to migrate code in most cases.

Module import declarations enable more concise code by allowing on-demand import of multiple packages via module definitions.

Compact source files and instance main methods simplify Java programming for beginners by enabling a class to be declared implicitly, reducing the amount of boiler-plate code.

The full list of new features in JDK 25 is [5]here

This JDK release matters more than most since it is LTS. Research from Azul in its [6]State of Java Report showed that most organizations stick with LTS releases and that adoption is cautious: the most widely-used JDK last year, according to the survey, was JDK 17 released in 2021.

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This means that developers upgrading from JDK 21 or earlier will also benefit from new features such as the foreign function and memory API, which is easier and safer to use than JNI (Java Native Interface) for native interop code. There has also been signicant work on performance.

RedMonk's programming language survey shows the endurance of Java over 12 years

[9]Nearly 3 out of 4 Oracle Java users say they've been audited in the past 3 years

[10]How Java changed the development landscape entirely as code turns 30

[11]Users advised to review Oracle Java use as Big Red's year end approaches

[12]Only 1 in 10 Oracle Java users want to stay with Big Red

Programming language trends show that Java usage is steady, though the work on making Java easier for beginners is too late, bearing in mind the tidal wave of JavaScript/TypeScript that has swept over the industry. Among professional developers, Java usage declined from 30 percent in 2024 to 29.6 percent in 2025 according to the [13]StackOverflow survey , a smidgen behind Microsoft's C# and hardly a significant change.

The [14]RedMonk language rankings , based on GitHub repositories and StackOverflow discussion tags, place Java as a top three language over the last 12 years. There has been some migration from Java towards Kotlin, a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) and cross-platform language from JetBrains, in part driven by Google's adoption of Kotlin as the primary language for Android development, but Java remains firmly embedded in enterprise development. ®

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[1] https://openjdk.org/jeps/503

[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aJtlEzSDfC_4SyVw9YTbAAAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[3] https://openjdk.org/jeps/513

[4] https://openjdk.org/jeps/506

[5] https://jdk.java.net/25/release-notes

[6] https://devclass.com/2025/01/30/state-of-java-report-shows-strong-migration-from-java-8-rise-of-apache-spark/

[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJtlEzSDfC_4SyVw9YTbAAAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aJtlEzSDfC_4SyVw9YTbAAAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/15/oracle_java_users_audited/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/23/30_years_ago_java_arrived/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/09/users_advised_to_review_oracle_java_use/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/29/only_one_in_ten_oracle/

[13] https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/technology#most-popular-technologies-language-prof

[14] https://redmonk.com/rstephens/2025/06/18/top20-jan2025/

[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/