Android 5.0 Appears on Nexus Devices

Google might be months away from announcing Android Key Lime Pie, thought to be Android 5.0, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not already being used, something that seems to have been confirmed by a KRS36B listing for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 in the Chrominium bug tracker.

In late July, Google announced and released Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, an incremental update to its operating system and one that replaces Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with several new features. While Android 4.3 is exciting, it’s likely not going to be the largest Android update that surfaces this year. That honor is likely going to be reserved for Android Key Lime Pie, rumored to be Android 5.0.

Read: Why The Nexus 7 Launch is a Great Sign for Nexus 5 Buyers.

Rumors have suggested that Android Key Lime Pie will roll out with a new Nexus smartphone, possibly a Nexus 4 or Nexus 5, later on this year, possibly in late October or November. While that remains unconfirmed, it does appear as though Key Lime Pie might be on some devices in the wild, specifically, a couple of Google’s Nexus devices.

A listing in the Chromium bug tracker, first discovered by AusDroid, shows a Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 running a build KRS36B. This is interesting for one reason, the ‘K’ that is in the front of the software. While Jelly Bean updates have used a J in front of their build numbers, k is thought to be the letter that will reside in front of Key Lime Pie’s build numbers.

The listing doesn’t confirm anything else nor does the user make any note of Key Lime Pie so at this point, Key Lime Pie remains a complete and utter mystery.

The last major update to Android was Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an update that was released alongside the original Nexus 7 in July of last year. Android 4.2 arrived in November with the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10 though it kept the Jelly Bean name, while adding new features. Android 4.3, which is currently rolling out to Nexus devices, is also Jelly Bean and it arrived with the Nexus 7 2.

Given Google’s pattern and this leak, it’s becoming increasingly likely that we’ll see a new Nexus smartphone, a new Nexus 10 and a new Android update arrive later this year  And given the name change, it’s likely that we’ll see a bigger update than what we’ve seen over the past year.