Skip to main content

Google uses 'nyc' as Android N's internal codename: New York Cheesecake

Android N Developer
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
It has been about a week since Google surprised us and released the developer preview for its upcoming iteration of Android. If you don’t know, each update is named after a delectable dessert, dating back to Android 1.5, which was named Cupcake.

Android 1.0 and 1.1 weren’t officially named, but they were likely alpha and beta. Since Cupcake, our palettes have seen and tasted donuts, eclairs, froyo, gingerbread, honeycomb, ice cream sandwiches, jelly beans, KitKats, lollipops, and most recently, marshmallows. And like every year, the guesses have been coming in with every new taste of Android N.

Recommended Videos

If you’re debating between nougat, or Nutella, you may find it interesting that Google is using “nyc” as a codename for Android N, likely referring to New York Cheesecake. If you head over to the Android Open Source Project repository, you’ll find various references to “nyc,” meaning it’s mostly only an internal name.

So don’t worry, it’s highly unlikely that Google will name its next version Android New York Cheesecake, not because it’s quite a mouthful, but also because in previous versions, the search giant has never used internal codenames as the official name of the update. For example, Android Marshmallow’s codename was Macadamia Nut Cookie, Lollipop’s was Lemon Meringue Pie, and KitKat’s was Key Lime Pie — all delicious desserts, but not good enough for branding.

Google is also taking its own poll, most likely just to tease us, in its Opinion Rewards app, according to Android Police. The app lets you get Play Store credit for answering surverys, and a recent survey question said, “What tasty food comes to mind that starts with the letter N?” That was followed up with, “What is your favorite tasty treat from the list below?” The results were: Napoleon, nut brittle, nachos, nori, noodles, nougat, and Neapolitan ice cream.

The choices are clearly not just desserts, but they also don’t include any Indian sweets, which Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted could be possible option in a poll when he spoke at Delhi University last year.

#Ask Sundar: Google CEO Sundar Pichai, live in conversation at Delhi University

“Maybe what I’ll do next time, is when we’re working on the next release of Android, Android N, maybe we’ll do an online poll on what the name should be,” Pichai said. “And if all Indians vote … I think we can make it happen.”

We did our own poll here at Digital Trends, with choices between Neopolitan, Nerds, Nutella, and Nilla Wafers. Android Nutella held a strong lead with 50 percent of the votes of 443 total votes.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
Google gives Android 13 a magic trick for music playback at CES 2023
Mockup image of Android 13's uninterrupted listening feature.

Android 13 launched last year, but Google is far from done working on it. A new feature announced at CES 2023 makes playing audio from Android devices on Bluetooth speakers easier than ever. Dubbed "uninterrupted listening," the feature aims to make transitioning from listening to audio content on your phone to other devices seamless and intuitive.

Uninterrupted listening gives users notifications on their phones when they get close to an audio device. As you go through your home, you might want to start listening to a song or podcast on another device (like your smart speaker or TV) based on your proximity to them. Listening to a song on your Pixel Buds Pro but walking into the kitchen near your Nest Audio? You'd get a notification prompting you to instantly transfer the audio from your earbuds to the speaker.

Read more
5 Android camera features that I need to have on my iPhone
iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro.

One of my favorite things to do with my iPhone 14 Pro is to take photos. Whether it’s part of my attempt to be artsy by snapping spontaneous moments with my husband and daughter, or just capturing the magic at Disneyland, I have a ton of photos. Though I don’t have time to edit every single one, I do like to spend time making edits on my favorites just to improve how they look before I post them on social media. But the built-in tools on the iPhone for taking photos and editing them are, well, lacking.

I’ve been testing a few different Android devices since I joined Digital Trends, and let me tell you — it’s been a trip. I’ve discovered so many new photo and camera tools on various Android devices that just show how much Apple is behind in that regard, despite being one of the most popular devices for mobile photography.

Read more
Google’s Android monopoly finds its biggest challenge, and Apple might be next
Apps screen on the Google Pixel 7.

The Competition Commission of India slapped Google with two hefty fines over anti-competitive strategies that have allowed it to dominate the mobile ecosystem in India. Totaling over $250 million, the penalties reprimand Google for forcing smartphone makers to avoid Android forks, prefer Google’s web search service, and pre-install popular cash cows like YouTube on phones.

Google was also disciplined for forcing its own billing system on developers that allowed the giant to take up to a 30% share of all in-app purchases for applications listed on the app store. Google is not really a stranger to titanic penalties; The EU handed Google a record-breaking fine of approximately $5 billion in 2018 for abusing its dominant market position — a penalty that was upheld in September this year following Google’s appeal.

Read more