Android M set to launch today at Google I/O

Google is tipped to announce the launch of the latest version of its Android mobile operating system at its Google I/O developer's conference today.

Dubbed Android M, the new OS is the successor to the Android Lollipop update that rolled out earlier this year.

Following the theme of previous Android upgrades, the sixth iteration of Google's OS will take its name from a piece of confectionary beginning with M.

Speculation is rife regarding potential monikers, but many believe that the most likely candidate is Android Marshmallow.

Although Google has used trademarked brand names in the past such as 4.0's KitKat update marshmallow would avoid an expensive licensing deal.

The biggest focuses of the new build will be battery life and RAM usage, according to a report by Android Police.

More detailed app permissions are also tipped to return, following the recent exoplosion in privacy awareness.

However, sources have also hinted that the update will place greater importance on Google's burgeoning IoT strategy.

Speaking in an interview with Fast Company, Google engineer Hiroshi Lockheimer mentioned the challenges of co-ordinating "a watch, and a phone, and a TV, and a car, and a tablet".

He stated that consumers should try "not to think about them in isolation", but instead view all of these devices "holistically".

This could mean that Android M will feature greater integration with Google's existing Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV platforms.

Lockheimer also revealed that the latest version of the Android OS marks the transition to a yearly update cycle.

Despite these rumours, however, some devices have yet to receive the previous Lollipop upgrade.

Depending on the age of the device and the promtness of networks' over-the-air updates, some phones could still be using the outdated Android 4.4.2 KitKat software.