Android 14 is due for a release in the coming future and its maker Google has updated the Android branding ahead of it. Drifting away from the lowercase stylization the operating system"s logo now starts with a capital "A." Google says this is done to add "more weight to its appearance when placed next to Google’s logo."
In its blog post, Google stated:
While we’ve added more curves and personality unique to Android, the new Android stylization more closely mirrors Google’s logo and creates balance between the two. We hope these small but significant updates to the Android typeface will better communicate the relationship between Android devices and the Google apps and services people already know.
The search giant has given Bugdroid, the Android mascot, a fresh 3D look as well. The robot is part of the official Android logo and according to the company, it reflects "playfulness people have come to expect from Android."
The green Android robot is one of the aspects that set Android apart from its rival iOS. It has been 14 years since the Android operating system came into existence and the robot has been associated with it since the early days. The robot character was designed by Irina Blok in 2007 during the time she was working as a graphic designer at Google.
In later years, Blok said in an interview that she created the character independently and open-sourced it. While she didn"t present the logo to anyone at Google, it gained popularity among developers at Google who also started coming up with their own versions.
Google said it has updated Bugdroid"s full-body appearance so it can easily "transition between digital and real-life environments, making it a versatile and reliable companion across channels, platforms and contexts."
The company has previously changed Android"s logo and brand color in 2019. At the time, it also dropped the popular dessert naming scheme and started using version numbers instead of alphabets to identify major Android updates. Google said the new branded identity and 3D bugdroid will start showing up on Android devices and elsewhere, starting this year.