Google bites into KitKat for Android

Google has surprised technology commentators and consumers of chocolate-coated wafers by naming the latest version of its Android software KitKat.

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Google has surprised technology commentators and consumers of chocolate-coated wafers by naming the latest version of its Android software KitKat.

The manufacturer Nestlé announced it had agreed a partnership with Google to use the KitKat brand name for version 4.4 of its popular Android smartphone software.

"We couldn't imagine a better name for our Android K release than the tasty chocolate that's been a favourite among the team since the early days of Android," said Marc Vanlerberghe, the director of Android Marketing.

Google has shown a sweet tooth with its Android versions names since 2009 - Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice-Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean among them. Market speculation had Key Lime Pie in the frame for 4.4.

Google approached Nestlé last November to discuss the branding arrangement, said Firas Abu Hamzeh, the brand manager for KitKat in the Middle East.

The partnership agreement did not involve the exchange of money between the two firms, he said.

Android is the most popular smartphone platform in the Middle East, accounting for 56.9 per cent of smartphone sales in the UAE in the second quarter of this year, according to the industry analyst IDC.

Google has not announced a release date for the new software.