The next version of the Android operating system was showcased yesterday, focusing on some areas that are receiving improvements. In a nutshell, permissions will get less annoying, there will be native support for fingerprint scanners, browsing is getting easier as it could now be done within apps, there is a focus on power-saving, Android Pay is included to handle mobile payments and the new USB Type-C standard is getting support in this new version. As the Developer Preview became available to download, users who installed it noticed some features that were not talked about in the conference such as the changes in the App Drawer or the new Dark Theme that runs on the entire system. So far, so good, but what about the name? It’s known as Android M, but we all know that’s not what it will be called once it launches in the third quarter of the year.
A watch face from the smartwatch worn by Dave Burke on stage started a rumor about what the M could stand for. We all know it’s going to be some kind of dessert or candy as it always has, but we don’t know if they will partner with some brand like they did when they named Android KitKat, being the only time that has been done. The rumor suggested that the official name could be Milkshake, but that rumor has been refuted by Burke himself. In his official Twitter account he states that the rumors about that name have been exaggerated and that his watch face cycles through his favorite desserts starting with the letter M. A picture goes along the written message and aside from the picture of the milkshake that started it all, this time in high quality, there are 3 more pictures representing a Milk Carton including the classic “missing” picture of the Android Robot. Another one is of a Malt bottle, although it wouldn’t technically qualify as a dessert. Finally, there’s one with a cookie with some big chunks that are most likely macadamia nuts, as Macadamia Nut Cookie is a name that the new update is known internally. Anyway, these are all possibilities but apparently Dave Burke enjoys teasing the audience, so it might end up being called something else entirely. We’ll have to wait a little longer to figure it out.
