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Does Google think octopus is a dessert?

Does Google think octopus is a dessert?

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Android O is for... octopus?

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Alright, Google. We need to have a serious talk. For months, the greater technology community has been waiting on tenterhooks to find out the name of Android O. Will it be Oreo? Oatmeal Cookie? Orange Sorbet? Some other “O” dessert?

But now, you’ve gone and stuck this image in the Easter egg section of the latest Android O developer preview, replacing the original placeholder Easter egg that traditionally has been there to keep the real name of the OS a secret. This is clearly an intentional move, given that the earlier Android O previews would only show the “O” logo on a space background.

Thus, the cartoon Android octopus begs a serious question: does Google think octopus is a dessert?

Now, octopus is certainly a food, enjoyed by millions as a delicacy around the world. It can be served as part of sushi, fried, or prepared in any number of ways. But the overwhelming consensus of the culinary world would indicate that it’s not a dessert! The closest thing we can find to a dessert version of octopus is a Trolli octopus gummy, but Google’s Easter egg seems to lack the multi-colored hues that the candy treat is known for.

It’s possible the folks at Mountain View are simply confused. Or maybe Android is switching away from dessert nicknames entirely. Perhaps the entire thing is an elaborate troll designed to drive the denizens of the internet mad! Is the black-and-white color scheme meant to serve as a visual placeholder for an Oreo cookie? We need answers!

Update: Shortly after this post went live, my colleague Natt Garun made the shocking connection that Android O is also Android version 8.0. Octopi are known for having eight legs. What exactly this means for the mascot of Android O is as yet unclear.

The final version of Android O — whatever it ends up being called — is expected to release sometime later this summer.