First there was Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, and Froyo.  Next, we’re going to see Gingerbread.  And after that, according to a new report, the following version of Android will be called Honeycomb.

The codename probably stems from the actual bits of honeycomb that can sometimes be found in relatively unprocessed honey, which fits because Google has beehives on campus.  Or a quick look around Wikipedia shows that there’s also something called honeycomb toffee.

The cereal Honeycomb is a less likely basis for the name since, as much as we may have enjoyed it as kids, it would mean Google was disregarding trademarks and veering away from more traditional desserts.

Anyway, Gareth Beavis reported earlier this morning, "Multiple sources have confirmed to TechRadar that the next version will be called Honeycomb, although details of what this upgrade will bring are still sketchy."

Beavis then speculated, "It’s likely that it will be more of an incremental upgrade, in the same manner as Android 2.2 (Froyo) was to Android 2.1 (Eclair) as Google seeks to perfect the new platform on tablets and high-end smartphones."

It should be interesting to see how quickly Honeycomb is pushed out the door, and whether it exacerbates Android’s fragmentation problems or in some way helps resolve them.