Android KitKat named as latest Google 'flavor'

Google says it will name its next mobile OS after the KitKat bar, which is owned by Hershey's. 

Cue the "gimme a break" jokes. 

After debuting mobile operating systems named after jelly beans, cupcakes, donuts, and ice cream sandwiches – not to mention frozen yogurt – Google has finally unveiled the moniker for its newest Android OS: Kit Kat. The news was revealed on the Android landing page and at the Internet home of Kit Kat, which is owned by the Hershey Company. 

"Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert," reads copy posted to the Android page. "As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next version of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats." 

This is the first Android OS to be named after an actual trademarked product, as opposed to a generic candy/baked treat. Here's hoping that Google will soon be expanding into Android Lemonheads and Android M&M. 

In related news, according to analytics firm IDC, in the most recent fiscal quarter, 187.4 million Android-powered phones were shipped globally. That's good enough for almost 80 percent of the worldwide market – it also marks a whopping 73.5 percent year-over-year growth for Android. (To put things in perspective, during the same quarter, Apple's iOS accounted for 13.2 percent of all shipments, with 31.2 million Apple devices shipped.) 

As Android opens more and more distance between itself and its rivals, it's becoming increasingly hard to imagine a scenario where Apple – let alone distant competitors such as BlackBerry – will be able to catch up anytime soon.