In stark contrast to the cloak-and-dagger secrecy of Apple's iPhone event this week, Google has come right out and announced it will release the latest build of Android, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, on October 11, as first reported by TechCrunch.

The message isn't emblazoned on the Google homepage, but it's still pretty clear, with the YouTube channel dedicated to Android developers currently hosting a placeholder page for a live event on the 11th with the title ‘Android ICS launch’.

Ice Cream Sandwich will be the seventh major version of the software, following Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Analysts expect Ice Cream Sandwich to unify the later two, which target mobile phones and tablets, respectively.

The release also coincides with Samsung’s Unpacked event, picked as the launch of the new Nexus Prime smartphone.

Update: The revealing title has been now removed from the placeholder video.