Java 25 Features (Preview) – What’s New in the Upcoming LTS Release

Java 25 is expected to launch in September 2025, and it brings with it exciting advancements in memory optimization, concurrency, and performance. Here's what we know so far about this upcoming release.

1. Stable Values (JEP 502 – Preview)

This introduces immutable objects treated as constants by the JVM. Stable values help optimize startup time and improve performance in multi-threaded environments.

static final StableValue<String> GREETING = StableValue.of("Hello");

System.out.println(GREETING.get());

2. Removal of 32-bit x86 Port (JEP 503)

Java 25 will remove support for the 32-bit x86 architecture to modernize the JDK and reduce maintenance overhead.

3. Value Classes (Project Valhalla – Expected)

Value classes are identity-free, immutable data carriers that can be laid out more efficiently in memory.

value class RGB(int r, int g, int b) { }

This allows objects to behave more like primitives for better performance.

4. Record 'with' Expressions (Expected)

Expected in Java 25 is the ability to create modified versions of records easily:

record User(String name, int age) {}

User updated = oldUser with { age = 35 };

5. Structured Concurrency (Preview)

Structured concurrency continues its preview journey, aiming to make concurrent programming simpler and more reliable.

try (var scope = new StructuredTaskScope.ShutdownOnFailure()) {
    Future<String> result = scope.fork(() -> doWork());
    scope.join();
    scope.throwIfFailed();
}

6. Scoped Values Enhancements (Preview)

Scoped values enable sharing of contextual data without traditional parameter passing — useful for virtual threads.

ScopedValue<String> USER_ID = ScopedValue.newInstance();

ScopedValue.where(USER_ID, "u123").run(() -> {
    System.out.println(USER_ID.get());
});

📅 Release Timeline

• Rampdown Phase 1: June 5, 2025
• Rampdown Phase 2: July 17, 2025
• Release Candidate: August 7, 2025
• General Availability: September 16, 2025

📌 Final Thoughts

Java 25 represents another step forward for the platform — enhancing expressiveness, performance, and safety. Whether you're a backend developer, systems architect, or tooling engineer, the upcoming changes will modernize and improve your Java workflow.