Sadly, the next version of Android isn't going to be called Quince. It's not even going to be named after a dessert. After a decade, Google is eschewing Android's sweet treat style guide and swapping over to something a little simpler: numbers. The operating system formerly known as Android Q is now called Android 10.
While Android 10 might not be quite as fun as an alphabetically appropriate ambrosia, Android VP of Product Management Sameer Samat says Google made the change to help make Android naming conventions to the global community.
"L and R are not distinguishable when spoken in some languages," wrote Samat. "So when some people heard us say Android Lollipop out loud, it wasn’t intuitively clear that it referred to the version after KitKat."
"It’s even harder for new Android users, who are unfamiliar with the naming convention, to understand if their phone is running the latest version. We also know that pies are not a dessert in some places, and that marshmallows, while delicious, are not a popular treat in many parts of the world."
While we don't know exactly when the final version of Android 10 will be available, Google says it will be ready within "the coming weeks". As per usual, Pixel smartphones will be the first to get the upgrade, but HMD has confirmed that Nokia smartphones will start getting updated in 2019's final quarter.
Huawei, LG, and OPPO have had their devices in the Android 10 beta program, so we're expecting to see these phones get upgraded sooner rather than later.
Android 10's key new features include a system-wide dark mode, predictive smart replies, a focus mode to silence notifications from apps you find distracting, better navigation gestures, improved security updates, and more.
Alex Choros
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