AndroidWithout fail, Google has issued an update to its Android platform on an annual basis, although in terms of versions Google made an interesting choice with Android KitKat which shared the same version as Android Ice Cream Sandwich in the form of version 4.x. For those who are wondering about the future of Android, you can rest assured as Google has you covered.

Speaking in an interview with Fast Company, Google exec Hiroshi Lockheimer confirmed that not only will we be getting a look at Android M, but he also confirmed that from here on out we can expect to see major Android updates released on an annual basis. We suppose this is more or less confirmed given Google’s history, but it’s good to be reminded about Google’s commitment every now and then.

According to Lockheimer, “As we’ve grown as a platform, we realize that to some extent predictability is important for the whole industry: developers, manufacturers, operators, and consumers, frankly. So we’ve landed with sort of a yearly cadence of big releases, so, for instance, one year we release J, the next year we release K, and then the year after that L, and then this year we’ll launch M, and so you can predict what will happen next year.”

Lockheimer also addresses how Google will approach the evolution of Android, which is to not treat each major release as an isolated event. “It’s really about thinking about these different screens, if you will, holistically. How do they work with each other? A watch, and a phone, and a TV, and a car, and a tablet, how can they coordinate, and how can they actually enrich our lives, and make things that were harder before more useful?”

So far based on what we know about the upcoming Android M update, it will pack several improvements and new features under the hood, such as better battery and RAM management, as well as the possibility that Android M could come with its own fingerprint authentication system baked into it. In any case more details are expected to be revealed at Google I/O later this week, so check back with us then for the details.

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