Android 12 Brings Back the Dessert Name with "Snow Cone"

Android 12 is codenamed "Snow Cone," revealed a Google executive on Twitter. The trend of naming desserts for new versions of Android isn't new, as Google used titles like Ice Cream Sandwich, Marshmallow, Pie and Nougat in the past. However, that custom was changed with the release of Android 10 in 2019, as the company decided to use the numerical order to call its new Android releases. Android 12 was released on Monday as the latest operating system from the house of Google, months after going through testing in several developer previews and beta versions.

Google's Vice President of Engineering for Android Dave Burke tweeted on Monday to announce Snow Cone as the dessert name for Android 12. This has made the latest Android operating system the first in recent years to get a dedicated name with dessert-themed: after Android Pie that was assigned to the ninth major version of the mobile platform.

As Android Central pointed out, the title Snow Cone first appeared in February, though it didn't get enough coverage as Google had dropped the use of dessert names for its new versions of Android in 2019. However, the Android family carried dessert nicknames internally, as Android 11 was apparently called Red Velvet Cake among Google developers. Android 10 was also suggested to be called Queen Cake by Burke, before ditching the dessert-themed naming scheme.

A stable version of Android 12 was released on Monday on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Shortly after the launch, manufacturers like Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme also confirmed the launch of their custom skins based on the latest version of Android. However, Google Pixel phones have yet to receive the update.

Detailed at the Google I / O developer conference in May after an initial developer preview released in February, Android 12 brings the new "Material You" design language. It also includes new privacy options, new coarse location permission, and an on-screen indicator to alert users when the phone's built-in microphone or camera is in use. There are advancements like the iOS-like way to opt-out of ad tracking that will be available later this year.

Google has also optimized the overall user experience on Android 12 with better power efficiency and improved CPU performance. You'll also get tweaks that include smoother audio transitions and an improved notification tone.