Android Q would have been 'Queen Cake' if Google didn't lose its sense of fun

Android 10 logo
Android 10 logo (Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The public name for the OS would have been Queen Cake.
  • Android 10, or Q as otherwise known, will be the first version of the OS since 1 and 1.1 to not have a tasty treat public name.
  • Google will continue to have code names internally. Android 10 is known as Quince Tart internally with the team.

As many have heard by this point, Google will no longer be giving a tasty treat name to each new version of its operating system based on what alphabet letter it's on. Two Googlers, VP of Android engineering Dave Burke and software engineer Dan Sandler, revealed to the All About Android podcast that, had the team continued the naming tradition it would have been called Queen Cake.

Perhaps more interesting was that the Android team has been using Quince Tart as the internal code name. OS version 10 will be the first time that an Android version won't get a public name since Cupcake, which was released in 2009.

This change goes hand in hand with a change in branding. Dave and Dan said the Android brand wasn't created with a "huge amount of thought," and it was done with "the minimum they could to get started." Version 10 of the OS gives the team a chance to start fresh and give the brand genuine, thoughtful planning.

While the tasty treats had their fun statues on Google's campus and brand team-ups with Kit Kat and Oreo, Android Q marks the perfect time allowing the brand to mature with an eye towards the future. It's also good to know the team at Mountain View won't be letting all the fun go to the wayside by keeping up with naming traditions internally.

Chris Wedel
Smart Home Writer
Chris Wedel is a fan of all things tech and gadgets. Living in rural Kansas with his wife and two young boys makes finding ways to get and stay online tricky. By utilizing his years of experience with the tech and mobile communications industries — success is assured. When not conquering connectivity challenges and testing new gadgets, he enjoys cruising a gravel road in his UTV with some good tunes.