If you’d been keeping up with the tech headlines for about the last eight months or so, you’ll know fully well that the next installment of Google’s mobile OS will be called Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. And just like the rest of us, you could not be more wrong – it isn’t and maybe never was.

Google’s Android 5.0?

Instead, Google has once again pulled a blinder at what we thought was the last minute by announcing the arrival of Android KitKat, which is to be version 4.4. And of course, there’s nothing like one of these software update announcement so spark pant-wetting excitement among much of the masses, but to be honest the way Google keeps throwing these things out is getting a bit silly.

So we have to ask – at this stage in the game is the arrival of Android KitKat something to celebrate, or a complete and utter nonsensical disaster in the making?

Madness

Taking a negative slant on it all first to get the moaning out of the way, Android has already become fragmented beyond belief and things are getting worse. There are still millions of people waiting to find out if they’ll ever see their devices updated to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which was already annoying enough given that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was announced over the summer to debut on the Nexus 7 2. So this means there are already millions of people a full two-generations behind what was at the time the latest version of Android – the KitKat version of the OS ups this thee generations behind.

As such, once KitKat lands we’ll once again be facing the problem of galaxies of Android users all having totally different experiences, facing various compatibility problems and waiting endlessly to find out whether they will ever get their respective updates. So from this perspective, you could easily argue that to throw out a new version of Android right now is nothing short of moronic.

Marvellous

On the flipside of the argument however, it could be a stroke of genius. The Google Nexus 7 2 arrived with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean as something of an exclusive toy to play with and we’ve for some time been expecting a new Nexus smartphone to join the affray. Now, the full-fat Google Nexus 5 may not arrive until next year and could bring Android Key Lime Pie to the world for the first time, but what about an interim device in the meantime?

Say for example, an LG Nexus 4.2 or a Motorola Nexus X to keep us busy in the meantime? Of course, any new Nexus device needs a new OS to show off in order to keep with tradition – could it be that this is what KitKat is all about?

It’s hard to believe that at this point Google would bother launching a new version of Android just for the sake of it as they only just sent one new build out. As such, you have to realistically conclude that new hardware is on the way and as the tablet department is already covered, chances are this means a new Nexus before the year is out.

This blog post was brought to you by Lisa Morton on behalf of Consumercheckpoint.co.uk. Click here to find out more about Consumer Checkpoint and the latest tech news.