Android Candy Cane teased by Google

This week whilst taking another dip into the operating system known as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, we've happened across a bit of an easter egg within an easter egg, with a candy cane floating amongst the beans. As it has been with each Android operating system since Android 2.3 Gingerbread, there's an easter egg animation (though sometimes it's a still image) that appears when you head to the place in your Settings that shows your operating system number. Tapping away at that number in Jelly Bean reveals a single Jelly Bean (as you saw in our full review of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) and another hold lets loose a whole collection of the multi-colored candy.

What we've found today thanks to our pals at Android Community is no less than a bonus bit of candy – a candy cane, as it were, floating amongst the rest of the sweets. While the first thing that pops into our collective heads whenever we see a candy treat anywhere near Android is a future code-name for the next version of the operating system. In this case though, it doesn't seem to add up. Each of the OS names thus far have been in alphabetical order:

• Cupcake

• Donut

• Eclair

• FroYo

• Gingerbread

• Honeycomb

• Ice Cream Sandwich

So Candy Cane can't possibly fit. Unless of course it goes with the less common "Kandy Cane" which would be just awful. The other idea here is that Google will be revealing something extra tasty by the time the holiday season comes around. While the candy cane is often tied directly to Christmas, it's not out of the question that this treat, whatever it may be, will simply be pushed once the new year rolls around.

Could it be a code for a new Nexus device? We shall see soon enough!

Have a peek at some more Jelly Bean treats in the timeline below as well!