Android Things is a deprecated

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

-based

embedded operating system An embedded operating system (EOS) is an operating system designed specifically for embedded computer systems. These systems aim to enhance functionality and reliability to perform dedicated tasks. When the multitasking method employed allows ...

platform by Google, announced at

Google I/O Google I/O, or simply I/O, is an annual developer conference held by Google in Mountain View, California. The name "I/O" is taken from the number googol, with the "I" representing the first digit "1" in a googol and the "O" representing the s ...

2015, and launched in 2018. Android Things Dashboard shutdown began on January 5, 2021. After January 5, 2022, Android Things Dashboard has been shut down completely and all remaining data has been deleted. Originally, Android Things was aimed for low-power and memory constrained

Internet of Things Internet of things (IoT) describes devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communication networks. The IoT encompasse ...

(IoT) devices,Google developing “Brillo” Internet of Things OS based on Android
/ref>Project Brillo is Google’s new Internet of Things OS
/ref> but in 2019 the project dropped support for low-power hardware and refocused on smartphone-class devices.

History

Pre-release

During Google I/O 2015, Google announced an upcoming

-based

platform, codenamed Brillo. At the time, project aimed to support low-memory devices with as little as 32-64 MB of RAM. Brillo platform was not just an OS for IoT devices, but instead a complete software stack with cloud component which included management console for device provisioning and update delivery. Brillo supported

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

and

Bluetooth Low Energy Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE, colloquially BLE, formerly marketed as Bluetooth Smart) is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) aimed at novel applications ...

and Weave protocol for communicating with cloud (including update delivery), communication with Android phones, and other compatible devices (including

Google Nest Google Nest is a line of smart home products including smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, thermostats, smoke detectors, routers and security systems including smart doorbells, cameras and smart locks. The Nest brand n ...

products). In 2016, Google revamped Brillo under the new name Android Things. Originally, Android Things was aimed for low-power and memory constrained

(IoT) devices, which are usually built from different MCU platforms.

Release

In 2018, Android Things was officially released, with version number 1.0. At the same time, multiple OEMs (including

JBL JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing, an American audio engineer and loudspeaker designer. JBL currently serves the ho ...

Lenovo Lenovo Group Limited, trading as Lenovo ( , zh, c=联想, p=Liánxiǎng), is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, servers, conv ...

, and

LG Electronics LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG, LG Corporation, the fourth ...

) released smart home devices powered by Android Things. These devices were based on two

Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software and services related to wireless techn ...

"Home Hub" systems-on-chip solutions and Google-provided implementations of Android Things tailored for

Google Assistant Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on home automation and mobile devices. Based on artificial intelligence, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations, unlike ...

-powered

smart speaker A smart speaker is a type of loudspeaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant (artificial intelligence), virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and Hands-free computing, hands-free activation with the help of o ...

s and displays. In February 2019, Android Things refocused on smart speakers and displays. The project dropped support for resource-constrained IoT devices and changed focus to smartphone-class devices.

Shutdown

In December 2020, Android Things Dashboard FAQ page was quietly updated with a notice about upcoming Android Things shut down. Android Things Dashboard stopped accepting new device registrations and projects on January 5, 2021, and stopped distributing updates on January 5, 2022 (at which point "the console will be turned down completely and all project data will be permanently deleted — including build configurations and factory images.")

References

External links

* {{Google LLC 2015 software Android (operating system) Cloud clients Embedded Linux Embedded operating systems Google operating systems Internet of things Software using the Apache license