The Google I/O may have wrapped up without any announcement from Google on what confectionary the Android N operating system is named after, and speculations of the next-gen OS's name are already swirling.
The OS version that follows Android N will apparently be called Android O — and no this is not a logical conclusion from us but a confirmation by a manufacturer.
The OEM in question is none other than Lenovo-owned Motorola, which let it slip that the next version of the Android operating system is set to be called Android O.
During a promotion for its Moto G4 Plus smartphone, which was released on May 17, the company mentioned that while the handset will come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box, it will be upgradable not only to the impending Android N, but also the unannounced Android O.
The poster from Motorola (below) clearly states that the Moto G4 Plus will be "upgraded to Android operating system versions N and O."
The revelation from Motorola has sent the rumor mills in a tizzy, with speculations on what dessert (perhaps Oreo?) the alleged Android O is based on being the order of the day.
Motorola's assertion of the Moto G4 Plus being upgradable to future-gen operating systems is potentially a great marketing ploy. However, at the same time, it is fraught with hazards for the company and could land it in trouble. You might ask: "How?" Note that, possibly, even Google does not know with certainty what features the alleged Android O OS will bring. Moreover, Motorola is notorious for bypassing updates even on handsets that were not old enough to skip them.
Motorola can only pray that Google sticks to the confectionary-themed naming convention for the open source Android operating system, which has been employed since Android 1.5 Cupcake came into existence in 2009.
Since its release, Google has introduced 12 builds namely Cupcake, Donut, éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, and the upcoming Android N (possibly Nutella), which follow not only the confectionary theme, but also an alphabetical order.
Motorola's faux pas should be taken with a pinch of salt. Given the company's track record, it will be interesting to see how soon the Moto G4 Plus gets upgraded to Android N.
