Google have unveiled a new Android statue to accompany the many others outside their Googleplex headquarters in California. Quite surprisingly there is now a giant Kit Kat bar in the shape of the Android mascot alongside the gingerbread man, cupcake and other statues after it was announced Android 4.4 will be named ‘KitKat’.
Since the first Android device was released Google have named the versions of their operating system after tasty treats. The G1 ran Android 1.5 also known as Cupcake at launch and since then we’ve seen various different names each one beginning with the next letter of the alphabet after the first letter of its predecessor. To date we’ve seen Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6), Eclair (2.0), Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.0), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), and most recently Jelly Bean (4.1-4.3).
It was pretty clear that the next name would begin with a ‘K’ but few would have predicted it would be named ‘KitKat’. Google have stated Nestle have given their blessing to use the Kit Kat trademark but that this was not a deal where money changed hands. A promotion between Nestle and Google will see Nexus 7 tablets and Google Play credit being given away in the US and UK and the Android mascot will be seen on Kit Kat packing in 19 different markets.
John Lagerling, director of Android global partnerships revealed ‘Key Lime Pie’ was one of the potential names for the successor to Jelly Bean but there can be little doubt that most people are a lot more familiar with Kit Kat than they are key lime pie. It’ll be some way off now but many will be already be trying to guess what the next ‘L’ named Android version will be called. Now Google have gone for ‘KitKat’ who knows whether it’ll be another brand name or back to a more generic term next.
Google also announced that Android has now reached over 1 billion device activations, that’s an extra 100 million since reaching the 900 million milestone in May and well ahead of the end of the year target Eric Schmidt predicted back in April. Despite the popularity of Android devices as a brand isn’t that well known but new marketing partnerships such as the Kit Kat deal could well change that.