Google Goes For A KitKat, Not Key Lime Pie, In Next Android Version

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Google announced that the next version of Android will be called KitKat, not Key Lime Pie as long expected. Google's Sundar Pichai, head of Android and Chrome operating systems, first hinted at the name in a post on his Google+ page. KitKat, a Nestle candy-bar brand, has tweeted confirming the name.

Say hello to what could be the world's first product-placement operating system. In case you were wondering, the latest version will be Android 4.4, not Android 5.0, according to Google's announcement.

Google is running a promotion with Hershey's (the maker of KitKat in the U.S.) and is holding a contest to win a new Nexus 7 tablet or credit at the Android Google Play store. From Pichai's post:

On my return from Asia, I was also thrilled to find this guy waiting to greet me on the front lawn -- love the new #AndroidKitKat statue and can't wait to release the next version of the platform that is as sweet as the candy bar that's one of our team's favorites:)

KitKat has been a long time in coming. Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at its I/O developer conference in 2012 and since then has released two more updates to the operating system (versions 4.2 and 4.3) both named Jelly Bean instead of the the long-awaited "K" flavor of Android. (Each generation of Android has been named for a dessert in alphabetical order—up to now, Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich were the previous versions.)

Google hasn't said when the KitKat update is coming, but it will likely be within the next two months as the company readies its device lineup for the holiday shopping season.

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