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Android Key Lime Pie after Jelly Bean?

Google's naming construct for its mobile operating system, which started alphabetically with 1.5 Cupcake, could fill a virtual sweets shop with Android updates. And now, the first pie could be joining this often-fragmented family: Key Lime Pie.

But is the buzz premature? Smartphones and tablets are just now rolling out with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the next update, allegedly named Jelly Bean, has yet to surface officially in Google's candy store.

The source for the latest rumors trace back to The Verge, which has been "tipped by a reliable source today that Google will be using the name "Key Lime Pie" for the version of Android that comes after Jelly Bean (in fact, the information comes from the very same source that tipped us to the Jelly Bean codename last year)."

Right now, it's the educated guess since Google has been consistent in creating dessert-themed updates, and it has everyone guessing what other desserts start with "K." We'll throw some ideas out there: Kruller, (Hershey's) Kisses and Krumkake. (Ok, based on that smattering, Key Lime Pie looks really good.)

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Android, as you know, is top dog in the smartphone wars -- for now -- with a recent report from Pew putting it on top of iOS -- but just barely. And by 2015, Android may be firmly established as the dominant phone in developing countries, according to In-Stat research. Even more recently, StatCounter gave Android the photo-finish win over iPhone for worldwide mobile browser market share usage at 22.67 percent at the end of February, vs. iPhone's 21.06 percent. 

But iOS has always had one strong advantage over Android: unity. Its mobile and desktop OS's are in sync, and while there are many generations of iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads now, there are far fewer models than those that carry Android. The compatibility problems have plagued several generations over many manufacturers, since there is no cohesive, coordinated plan for the devices and which updates they carry. For now, Gingerbread 2.3 is the hope for unification, as one firm tags it with being on 73 percent of Android devices, according to 9to5Google.

We'll update you when and if we hear confirmation. 

On Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.