Last Updated on November 16, 2019 by Mathew Diekhake

Once a year the team from Android have the pleasure of naming their new version of the operating system. The average user doesn’t notice many changes when it comes to using the Android operating system when they update their phones every couple of years or so—the same annoyances are there with trying to figure out how to set up an email, and the same default Google applications—since it is the company that owns Android—are still there from the homescreen too.

The average user also doesn’t have much of an idea that Android goes out of its way to name each version of the operating system after a dessert treat. The rules to the naming game are the following: each year it is a new letter, and the letter follows the alphabet; this year now being up to the letter O. In past years those Android fans around the internet (that are considered more than the “average” consumer in terms of Android interest) would be in full hysteria mode as they wondered what the next name would eventually be and as Google gave subtle hints as to what might be to come.

Much of that excitement seems to have dwindled lately, or perhaps it’s just us getting used to the yearly trend now—it’s hard to say exactly which one of the two it is. Just in case people are still as excited about finding out the name of the next Android version today as they were years ago, today is a big day. Today was the day when we officially found out the name of the next Android version, or so it would seem.

A guy named Even Blass, who once was the founder of a site called EvLeaks, who was then picked up by a larger company and has now moved on to bigger and better things, has dropped the hat on what the name of the next Android version is on Twitter. Few people are as well connected as Even is, and when he drops names they are typically always correct—kind of like the Adrian Wojnarowski of the tech world if you will.

We now know exactly when Google will finally, officially announce the next version of Android. Named Android O right now, the software will be announced in New York City via a live-streamed event that will take place at 2:40 PM EST on August 21st.

The updated version of Android will also receive its official name during the event. With previous versions all being named after desserts or sweet treats, the guesses as to what Android O will be called are flying around with increased gusto.

The smart money’s on Oreo, particularly considering the discovery that a video used on the announcement’s web page uses the word “Oreo” in its URL. This, of course, could simply be Google trolling us all, although many of us suspected Oreo long before now, and serial leaker Evan Blass has also shared a logo image of sorts for Oreo version of Android, further cementing the fact that Android 8.0 will indeed be called Android Oreo.

Google’s big announcement also coincides with the solar eclipse, taking place on the same day.

On August 21st, a solar eclipse will sweep across the entire United States for the first time since 1918. Android is helping you experience this historic natural phenomenon so you can learn more about the eclipse and count down to the big day—when you’ll meet the next release of Android and all of its super (sweet) new powers, revealed via livestream from New York City at 2:40PM ET.

Google is also making sure nobody misses the eclipse, with a simple command now able to tell Google Assistant to do the business when it gets close to eclipse time. In order to set an alarm, simply tell Assistant to “set a solar eclipse alarm for 1:30 PM.”

New releases of Google’s Android operating system are always exciting times, especially with new Pixel devices also just around the corner. Over the next few weeks, we will get to see the very best of Google, and we cannot wait to see what has been worked on in Mountain View.

Source: Redmond Pie