For several years, Google used to build a new statue with each new Android release. These iconic statues represented the official codename for the update. So Google made a statue showing an Oreo as a tribute to Android 8 Oreo and a statue depicting a nougat for Android 7 Nougat.
By ditching dessert names, Google broke this tradition. The Mountain View giant hasn’t added a statue to its campus lawn since Android 10, known internally as Quince Tart. Android 11 (Red Velvet Cake), Android 12 (Snow Cone) and Android 12L (SnowCone v2) also did not get one.
Until recently, the statues illustrating the previous versions of Android were however still visible on the Google campus in Mountain View in front of building 44. On the campus, one could cross a total of 18 statues. Recently, the company had the figures moved from its place. The statues have been moved back to a small park outside the visitor center for an unknown reason.
According to information relayed by our colleagues from Android Authority, Google has finally made the decision to remove the statues. Citing the testimonies of many visitors on Google Maps, the outlet claims that Google moved all the statues to an unknown location a few days ago.
Google has removed all Android statues from its campus
“I was expecting a treat and was met with desolation and ruin,” wrote one reviewer after paying a visit three weeks ago. “The whole area seems abandoned and the merchandise store looks from the outside; like those post-apocalyptic stores you see in videogames and movies.”
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Now, though, the park appears to be completely devoid of Android statues at all. “All statues have been removed,” wrote one reviewer. “The park is just empty.” Meanwhile, another reviewer says, “No more statues at all. They removed them and there’s no signage saying if they’ll come back or not.” “It’s a barren wasteland. All statues have been removed — just a dirt patch,” said another.
Google has recently officially announced the date of the annual Google I/O event; this year it will be held May 11-12. Traditionally, at the event, the company presents a new version of its Android OS; and this year no changes are expected in this regard. So Android 13 will be presented on May 11, the first day of the conference.
Google I/O 2022 will be held in a partially open format: only employees of the company are invited to the event, everyone else will follow the announcements online. During the conference, the official premiere of Android 13 will take place, but the final version of the OS will be released only in the fall, and the first devices with Android 13 out of the box will be Pixel 7 smartphones.
