Boo! Google Stops Serving Desserts, Goes With Android 10 For Next Mobile OS Build
You can forget about the next version of Android being called queijadinha, qurabiya, queen of puddings, or any other dessert that begins the letter "Q." As part of a more inclusive rebranding effort, Google is moving away from the traditional dessert-themed naming scheme, and calling the next major build of its mobile operating system simply Android 10.
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Perhaps the most memorably build up to this point, in terms of the name, was KitKat. Google partnered with Nestle for the tie-in to Android, and in doing so, it made the guessing game all the more fun for ever subsequent build of Android—would the name be an actual dessert, or a candy brand?
"As we continue to build Android for everyone in the community, our brand should be as inclusive and accessible as possible—and we think we can do better in a few ways. First, we’re changing the way we name our releases. Our engineering team has always used internal code names for each version, based off of tasty treats, or desserts, in alphabetical order. This naming tradition has become a fun part of the release each year externally, too. But we’ve heard feedback over the years that the names weren’t always understood by everyone in the global community," Google explained in a blog post.
Specifically, Google offered up the example of "L" and "R" not being distinguishable when spoken in some languages. For example, when saying "Android Lollipop" out loud, it might not be immediately clear to some if that referred to the version after KitKat.
"It’s even harder for new Android users, who are unfamiliar with the naming convention, to understand if their phone is running the latest version. We also know that pies are not a dessert in some places, and that marshmallows, while delicious, are not a popular treat in many parts of the world," Google added.
Moving forward, Google is transitioning to a numbering scheme to make the names "clear and relatable to everyone." That decision will be a bummer for some, though it's hard to argue against a numbering system being easier and more straightforward.
Google is also refreshing the look of its logo. The Android robot has become iconic to the brand, and it's now incorporated into the logo, either next to the word "Android" or directly above it. In addition, Google is changing the wording from green to black.
"It’s a small change, but we found the green was hard to read, especially for people with visual impairments. The logo is often paired with colors that can make it hard to see—so we came up with a new set of color combinations that improve contrast," Google said.
Google will begin using the new logos in the coming weeks, and with the final release of Android 10.
