Android’s previous major release names may have seemed a bit silly…but according to a report from The Verge, the latest version of Android will be called nothing other than KitKat. Gimme a break (and please pardon the pathetic joke)!
From The Verge,
Google’s Sundar Pichai, head of both Android and Chrome, has confirmed that the next version of Android will be called KitKat. Yes, you’ve read correctly, KitKat, as in the trademarked name of the chocolate candy bar made by Nestle (and licensed by Hershey in the US). A splash page for the new operating system reveals that KitKat will be the codename for Android 4.4, not the long-rumored Android 5.0. The name keeps the company’s long-standing tradition of naming each version of its mobile operating system after desserts.
Google also explains on the official Android website:
…each Android version is named after a dessert: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next version of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats, Kit Kat!
To make this release even sweeter, Kit Kat is giving you the chance to win a Nexus 7 or Google Play credit. Just look for specially branded Kit Kat candy bars featuring the Android robot in a store near you.
That’s just creepy, right? A Willy Wonka-like Golden Ticket to win an Android device inside your favorite chocolate bar…to promote an Android release named AFTER that very chocolate bar? I may have to avoid buying KitKats for a while. The fact that Google timed a surprise announcement for a relatively minor Android update just as Apple was announcing their September 10th iPhone event also seems odd.
