5 ms·

New Android Release to be named Kit Kat

41 points by pisarzp 13y ago

victoriap 13y ago
it's not Android 5.0 but 4.4. I am curious what functions are still left before we don't need anything new. Also how does Chrome/Android work together now? Somehow I am expecting a surprise.
involans 13y ago
Product placement, or just failure to think of deserts starting with 'K'?
- runjake 13y ago
  On more than one occasion, I heard an Android engineer mutter the term "Key Lime Pie" when (usually on a jovial manner) referring to a future Android version. Who knows? Maybe KLP got old before it came to be.
  - cpeterso 13y ago
    The Key Lime Pie name was pretty public. I assume JB 4.2 or 4.3 was intended to be KLP, but when Google decided to stick with the JB name, reusing KLP for Android 4.3 or 4.4 would cause too much confusion. Microsoft skipped "DirectX 4" for the similar reasons: after DirectX 3 was released, Microsoft began developing versions 4 and 5 at the same time. Version 4 was to be a shorter-term release with small features, whereas version 5 would be a more substantial release. The lack of interest from game developers in the features stated for DirectX 4 resulted in it being shelved, and the corpus of documents that already distinguished the two new versions resulted in Microsoft choosing to not re-use version 4 to describe features intended for version 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX#History
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
- jannotti 13y ago
  ArsTechnica has a nice article out that seems to lay out the strategy pretty clearly. Unbundling apps, and an uber service that can do just about anything, constantly updating. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-sl...
ramayac 13y ago
Hmmmm, really nice product placement, and the Google Play credit inside the chocolate bars are a nice touch. Is it me or ... they are actually targeting children/teenagers ? Clever move.
CmonDev 13y ago
"It's our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody." "It's our goal with iOS 7 to make an amazing iOS experience available for everybody." "It's our goal with Windows Phone 8 to make an amazing Windows Phone experience available for everybody."
- Recoil42 13y ago
  "I'm just a junior copywriter in NYC, and I have no idea what the engineers are actually working on at Mountain View, so I'm going to write something that sounds generic enough that it could apply to any advance in the OS, but still sounds exciting to anyone scrolling through this page."
estel 13y ago
The BBC article on the deal has more details and quotes from those involved: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938
osmotw 13y ago
Apparently naming rights to future Android versions are for sale? Lindt, M&M, Necco, Oreo...
gcb0 13y ago
4.4 and not 5.0? I bet the 'major' change will be renaming the stock browser to 'chrome'
- Kiro 13y ago
  I hope not. Chrome for Android is definitely not ready. The performance is really bad compared to the stock browser.
VeejayRampay 13y ago
Does anyone know if Kit Kat will be coming on the Google Nexus 4 smartphone I just ordered a few days ago? I'm not familiar at all with Google's records with allowing older phones to upgrade to newer versions of Android. Thanks.
- scott_karana 13y ago
  The Nexus phones are specifically designed to be developer test devices, and even old phones such as the Galaxy Nexus are still capable of running the most recent version. I wouldn't be worried at all. :-) From what I understand, the only reason a Nexus phone would not get an Android update is if the hardware is no longer capable.
tankbot 13y ago
Key Lime Pie would have been better. I don't have a problem with the name or Nestle getting on board, though if 4.4 turns out to be horrible they're going to regret the tie-in. I just think sticking to dessert names rather than brand names is better. Side note: This guy [0] owes us a video!! [0] http://bit.ly/xGxKfy http://bit.ly/xGxKfy Edit: Didn't want anything to melt.
- frewsxcv 13y ago
  Desert names sound too hot. They should stick with dessert names.
devx 13y ago
What the hell - so there won't be Android 5 this year, when there are already 2 years since the Android 4.0 release? If they miss the spring deadline, too, and keep 5.0 for next fall, Android's (really major) versions would be upgraded as slowly as Microsoft's Windows. Plus, Android is turning 5 years old this fall. Meh.
sarreph 13y ago
Android 4.5 - Snickers
ambirex 13y ago
Starting a counter for headlines containing "break". (already counting around 4 from google news)
cpeterso 13y ago
Isn't KitKat a trademark of Nestlé?

41 points by pisarzp 13y ago

it's not Android 5.0 but 4.4. I am curious what functions are still left before we don't need anything new. Also how does Chrome/Android work together now? Somehow I am expecting a surprise.

involans 13y ago

Product placement, or just failure to think of deserts starting with 'K'?

runjake 13y ago
On more than one occasion, I heard an Android engineer mutter the term "Key Lime Pie" when (usually on a jovial manner) referring to a future Android version. Who knows? Maybe KLP got old before it came to be.
- cpeterso 13y ago
  The Key Lime Pie name was pretty public. I assume JB 4.2 or 4.3 was intended to be KLP, but when Google decided to stick with the JB name, reusing KLP for Android 4.3 or 4.4 would cause too much confusion. Microsoft skipped "DirectX 4" for the similar reasons: after DirectX 3 was released, Microsoft began developing versions 4 and 5 at the same time. Version 4 was to be a shorter-term release with small features, whereas version 5 would be a more substantial release. The lack of interest from game developers in the features stated for DirectX 4 resulted in it being shelved, and the corpus of documents that already distinguished the two new versions resulted in Microsoft choosing to not re-use version 4 to describe features intended for version 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX#History

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

jannotti 13y ago
ArsTechnica has a nice article out that seems to lay out the strategy pretty clearly. Unbundling apps, and an uber service that can do just about anything, constantly updating. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-sl...

ramayac 13y ago

Hmmmm, really nice product placement, and the Google Play credit inside the chocolate bars are a nice touch. Is it me or ... they are actually targeting children/teenagers ? Clever move.

CmonDev 13y ago

"It's our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody." "It's our goal with iOS 7 to make an amazing iOS experience available for everybody." "It's our goal with Windows Phone 8 to make an amazing Windows Phone experience available for everybody."

Recoil42 13y ago
"I'm just a junior copywriter in NYC, and I have no idea what the engineers are actually working on at Mountain View, so I'm going to write something that sounds generic enough that it could apply to any advance in the OS, but still sounds exciting to anyone scrolling through this page."

estel 13y ago

The BBC article on the deal has more details and quotes from those involved: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938

osmotw 13y ago

Apparently naming rights to future Android versions are for sale? Lindt, M&M, Necco, Oreo...

gcb0 13y ago

4.4 and not 5.0? I bet the 'major' change will be renaming the stock browser to 'chrome'

Kiro 13y ago
I hope not. Chrome for Android is definitely not ready. The performance is really bad compared to the stock browser.

VeejayRampay 13y ago

Does anyone know if Kit Kat will be coming on the Google Nexus 4 smartphone I just ordered a few days ago? I'm not familiar at all with Google's records with allowing older phones to upgrade to newer versions of Android. Thanks.

scott_karana 13y ago
The Nexus phones are specifically designed to be developer test devices, and even old phones such as the Galaxy Nexus are still capable of running the most recent version. I wouldn't be worried at all. :-) From what I understand, the only reason a Nexus phone would not get an Android update is if the hardware is no longer capable.

tankbot 13y ago

Key Lime Pie would have been better. I don't have a problem with the name or Nestle getting on board, though if 4.4 turns out to be horrible they're going to regret the tie-in. I just think sticking to dessert names rather than brand names is better. Side note: This guy [0] owes us a video!! [0] http://bit.ly/xGxKfy http://bit.ly/xGxKfy Edit: Didn't want anything to melt.

frewsxcv 13y ago
Desert names sound too hot. They should stick with dessert names.

devx 13y ago

What the hell - so there won't be Android 5 this year, when there are already 2 years since the Android 4.0 release? If they miss the spring deadline, too, and keep 5.0 for next fall, Android's (really major) versions would be upgraded as slowly as Microsoft's Windows. Plus, Android is turning 5 years old this fall. Meh.

sarreph 13y ago

Android 4.5 - Snickers

ambirex 13y ago

Starting a counter for headlines containing "break". (already counting around 4 from google news)

cpeterso 13y ago

Isn't KitKat a trademark of Nestlé?