Android Marshmallow is the name of Google's next operating system update

Android Marshmallow name
Android Marshmallow name

Android Marshmallow is the delicious new name of Google's forthcoming mobile operating system update, the company announced today, replacing Android 5.0 Lollipop later this year.

Since Google IO 2015, it's been teased as just "Android M," which led to immense speculation as to which tasty treat the software could be named after.

It's always been some sort of snack in alphabetical order, from Ice Cream Sandwich, to Jelly Bean to KitKat to Lollipop before it. So everything was speculated, from milkshake, to muffin, to macadamia nut.

Finally, as you can see from the Android statue holding the S'mores-friendly ingredient with two hands, marshmallow won out. The new statue was unveiled at Google's Mountain View headquarters this morning.

Here's what to expect

Truth be told, the naming convention doesn't actually change the features within Google's software. It's just a fun nickname other than saying Android 6.0 over and over again. It's more entertaining than, say, iOS 9.

Android Marshmallow is an incremental update slated to bring better memory management, easier app permissions and battery life-saving techniques. Lots of behind-the-scenes updates, for sure.

The biggest change is the debut of Google Now on Tap, which scans messages and webpages to predict what you want to Google before you actually reach for the search engine.

Android Pay, while not officially tied to the Android Marshmallow launch, is likely to arrive alongside this update and the Nexus 5 2015.

Android Marshmallow almost ready

What in fact does change today is that Android Marshmallow is almost ready to launch, as Google has started to seed of the final developer preview to beta testers.

The Alphabet company official launched Android 6.0 SDK this morning and announced that the Google Play Store is ready to accept developers Android Marshmallow apps.

Not soon enough? You're able to download Android 6.0 beta on four Nexus devices: Nexus 6, Nexus 5, Nexus Player and Nexus 9 tablet.

Of course, many people asking "when can I get Android Marshmallow?" will be left wondering. Google's firmware updates are notoriously slow, with manufacturers and carriers always facing deals.

Matt Swider