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M is for Milkshake … Or not: Android VP says his watch shows all his favorite M desserts

Sundar Pichai stands in front of a Google logo at Google I/O 2021.
This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage

Google announced a lot of new stuff today during the opening keynote of its I/O developer conference in San Francisco, including a myriad of exciting details about it’s yet-to-be-released Android M operating system. But amid all this new info, the company failed to mention the one thing many of us were waiting for: the actual name of the OS.

Google did, however, drop a subtle hint. When Google’s VP of Engineering David Burke took the stage, most eyes were on the presentation behind him, but the biggest news was on his wrist. If you look closely at screenshots of the event, you can clearly make out the picture of a milkshake on Burke’s Android Wear smartwatch.

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Of course, afterward he tweeted that the watch face filters through all his favorite M desserts, so reports of Milkshake as the winner as “exaggerated.”

It’s hardly an official announcement, and Burke’s tweet casts some doubt on Milkshake’s victory — but given Google’s penchant for hiding easter eggs at every opportunity, it’s possible that Burke’s smartwatch wallpaper choice was intentional, and that this is Google’s way of cleverly dropping the new name on us.


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If Burke’s just teasing us, Milkshake could be the next dessert on the menu for Android. However, it seems that all you folks who bet on Marshmallow or Marzipan still have reason to hope you’re right.  A few days ago, rumors suggested that Google’s codename for Android M was MNC, which led many to believe the new OS was going to be named Macadamia Nut Cookie. Google might be pulling a fast one on us again.

No matter what they end up calling it though, one thing is for sure — M is going to be a beast. For a more detailed look at all the features and improvements it’ll have, head over to our continually updated post on everything you need to know about Android M.

Drew Prindle
Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
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