Google has revealed that the next version of Android will be named Nougat - which may cause some problems due to variations in its pronunciation - and will be version 7, with a new statue added to its growing collection at the Googleplex. 

If you want to know more about Google's tradition of naming successive versions of Android after sweet confectionery, and erecting a new statue each time, see the Behind the Scenes video from Nat and Lo which included in our report on Andriod M being Marshmallow. 

The name has been decided on after asking attendees at Google I/O and a poll conducted on the Google Opinon Rewards app which allowed Android users to have their say. Despite many rumors that "Nutella" might be a suitable choice it wasn't even on the short list - and looking at the question again it does look as though Nougat was the obvious choice if you add the constraint that it is required to be sweet!

The video Google posted yesterday on You Tube also puts an end to speculation of is version number by including:

On June 30th, 2016 we unwrapped our latest treat, Android 7.0 Nougat.

So the only questions remaining are when will it be released and how long before it is widely adopted.

We have already had four developer preview, the latest of which includes the final SDK with all the APIs in their finalized form which enables apps to be published for Nougat. This just leaves the 5th and final developer preview, billed as "near-final" for final testing is expected this month. Google has mention a Q3 launch - which means any time before the end of September.

As to when it will arrive with end users, that's a more difficult question. This year's new Nexus phones will be the first to run Nougat but for those who don't want new handsets it might take longer. For example, after Marshmallow launched on September 29, 2015 it took Samsung until March 3, 2016 to push out its first update to the Galaxy Note 5.

Even now Marshmallow only accounts for 10% of Android usage and Lollipop, currently with 35% has only recently replaced KitKat as the most popular version.

Let's hope that things proceed in a speedier fashion for Android 7 as it has new features that make it a worthwhile upgrade, see Android N Developer Preview Is Out to be reminded about them.

So how do you pronounce Nougat? Well it's originally French so perhaps "nooogah"; but in English it sounds rather more gutteral according to this You Tube clip:

More Information

Android N Developer Preview Program Overview

Android Platform Versions

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