It seems that we began to forget about the good tradition that accompanied Android for many years and was interrupted only at the 10th anniversary version. I'm talking about a clear association of the firmware version and the name of the dessert. There was a time when there were not only strict numbers, but also affectionate names, like “pie”, “marshmallow” and the like. For some reason, Google executives decided it was time to put an end to their own sweet tradition. One would think that desserts have been completely forgotten, but this is not so. In the depths of the company, names continue to be assigned and the company does not hide this, but rather openly speaks from it. What is going on?
Dessert names in Android have come to an end. Or not?
The tradition of naming versions Android after desserts really took root from the earliest firmwares. Gradually, the names changed, but the tradition for each new version to use the next letter of the alphabet as the first letter of the name of the dessert seemed eternal. True, many wondered what would happen if the letters ended. Now, most likely, we will not get the answer to this question, since the company has stopped telling us about the name of this or that version Android – only numbers.
Nougat, Oreo, Pie will remain in the memory of fans. And also in the form of figures next to the office of the company. They were funny and very much the essence of each version. True, to be honest, I don't know what is happening to them now and whether they still exist, but now they have already become history.
Such a lawn in front of the office looks interesting
Why did Google stop naming versions Android
It's time to answer questions about versions Android and that was done by Google VP and Project Manager Android Dave Burke. He shared information in the podcast All About Android. He said that the “green robot” still has versions with the name of desserts, only no one tells about them to ordinary users. They are used only for internal use, but the company does not hide them, although it does not advertise them.
Dave Burke.
He also noted that the company officially switched to version numbers, so Android 11, like Android 10, did not receive a postscript.
Explaining that engineers and developers continue to use the names of desserts internally, Dave Burke said it’s easier this way. For example, approaching an employee and asking what he is doing, it is much easier to get the answer “RVC” than to hear a number. Probably, it's easier not to get confused than naming adjacent numbers. By the way, “RVC” stands for “Red Velvet Cake”, and translates as “Red Velvet Cake”. A strange name, I agree.
Sometimes the abbreviated name is used in other projects of the company, which also receive a name based on the version Android. Only in this case it turns out to be shortened and looks only like the first letter. For example, “Q” or “R”. It turns out even easier, but at the same time you definitely won't mix up the versions. Having earned, 10 and 11 can be confused, and if a letter is assigned to the number, the probability of error will be lower. Someone is better guided in this way, and someone – so. And simply, someone may “prick” that the letter does not match and he will check everything once again.
Desserts are more pleasant.
Burke noted that Android 10 got the letter “Q” for a reason. According to the internal classification, this means Quince Tart, which is also the name of the dessert. It's good to see Google continue the fun tradition of naming its flagship software product for dessert. It's just a pity that such names do not go beyond the walls of the company. It was somehow more pleasant with them – at home, or something.
Dave Burke on All About podcast Android
Dave Burke also talked about other things related to Android as part of the podcast. For example, he touched on the Project Mainline, the background killing of apps and permissions regarding the upcoming release Android 11.
This kind of creativity will no longer exist.
The new version will really have a lot of new things. At the same time, updates will affect not only the outer shell and functions that will be available to users, but also what will be hidden from them. I mean optimizing performance, increasing security, restrictions for smartphone manufacturers, and more. These “behind the scenes” changes are sometimes much more interesting than a new menu or some additional feature that users notice first.
If you are interested in listening to everything Dave Burke said, you can do it here. You might find something even more interesting for yourself than the versions Android and features that Google is working on. In the end, interviews with high-ranking employees are interesting because they can literally be taken apart to understand what awaits us. When a person knows literally everything about a product being prepared, he can either accidentally say something about something, or directly (perhaps indirectly, but consciously) hint at something. If you find something important in this interview that we have not discussed in this article, write to our Telegram chat. Let's analyze it together.