Android O incoming - Google hosting live stream on Monday (Update: even more Oreo trolling)

Update 2: The suspicious among us don’t trust much of what comes out of a Googler’s social media accounts just prior to a new version launch, and few Googlers troll quite as hard as Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android. Last year Lockheimer pushed Nutella on us repeatedly before Android N became Nougat, and this year Android Oreo has cropped up in his feed again and again.

Nevertheless, now the tables have turned, as no one’s buying Lockheimer’s follow-up tweet after a video file with the name GoogleOreo_Teaser was picked up on Google+ (see Update 1 below). As funny as it would be that Lockheimer had been telling the truth this whole time, he is officially the boy who cried wolf. Or should that be Oreo?

Update 1: We already suggested there’s still a possibility all of this eclipse stuff is actually part of the trolling for the name — which could be Oreo after all. Again, we know we could be flat wrong. That said, Google may have leaked the name unintentionally on Google+. A now deleted tweet — courtesy of Android Police — refers to a video file “GoogleOreo_Teaser_0817_noDroids (1).mp4”.

Is this an actual leak, or just another Google troll? That’s anyone’s guess at this point. 

It’s been nearly one hundred years since we’ve seen a solar eclipse at the same scale as the one that sweeps across the US on Monday. In other words, it’s a pretty big deal. Google thinks so too, and that’s why it is using the eclipse as a launching point for Android O.

That’s right, Google has once again proven how unpredictable it can be by announcing it will show off Android O, and celebrate the eclipse, at 2:40PM ET at an event in New York City. Even better, it will be livestreamed. As you’d expect, Google is pretty mum on things like Android O’s name, when we might expect the Pixel 2, and so forth.

Previous rumors floating around have suggested Google may move away from its sweet treat naming convention with O, though it is worth noting that the Eclipse page on Google’s website does say “Android O is touching down to earth with the total solar eclipse, bringing some super (sweet) new powers!” So take that to mean whatever you will.

Whether they are actually releasing O, saying its final name, or both? We don’t know just yet. But we’re certainly excited. Also, we have to point out that the Sun under an eclipse looks a bit like a giant oreo in the sky. Just saying. Are you looking forward to Android O? What do you think it’ll be named, what features are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments.