Key Lime Pie has been given the boot as the codename for the next version of Android in favor of KitKat. No, today isn’t April Fools’ Day – apparently Google reached out to the candy maker and a deal was made to use the trademarked name as the codename for the next version of Android.
KitKat is the trademarked name of the candy bar made by Nestle and licensed by Hersey in the US. According to Android director of partnerships John Lagerling, the decision to move away from Key Lime Pie came after they realized very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie.
As the story goes, KitKat is apparently a favorite snack among Android coders. Late last year, someone suggested using that name for the upcoming version of Android (4.4, not 5.0) and within 24 hours of reaching out to Nestle, an agreement was made. It’s said to be the type of deal where no money changes hands but rather a marketing opportunity for both parties.
Google has traditionally named each Android version after a dessert: cupcake, donut, éclair, froyo, gingerbread, honeycomb, ice cream sandwich, jelly bean and now, KitKat.
To help promote the partnership, Google and Nestle are launching a Willy Wonka-style promotion starting September 6 that will give candy bar buyers a chance to win a Nexus 7 or Google Play credits. Just look for the specially branded KitKat bars featuring the Android robot in stores.
