Android Things is finally ready to ship inside consumer gadgets

Android Things, Google’s IoT platform for smart devices, is set to soon ship inside consumer devices.

After launching to developers at the end of 2016, Android Things has hit its 1.0 release. Google says that the first devices set to feature the technology are smart displays from LG, Lenovo and JBL, as well as smart speakers from LG and iHome. The first devices that feature Android Things are set to be released later this summer, though it’s unclear exactly how many devices will support the platform — as well as if they’ll even be released in Canada.

Google is positioning Android Things as a development platform designed to make it easier for hardware companies to manufacture various IoT gadgets. The platform allows Google to handle the bulk of the device’s software and intelligence features, while letting manufacturers code their device using Android tools they’re already familiar with.

It’s unclear if this will actually be the case, but if a device is already going to feature Google Assistant and Cast functionality, Android Things likely speeds up the development process to some extent by making both features easier to implement. That said, just because these devices are based on Android Things, it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily going to be considered an Android accessory.

Google has also said that it plans to support the platform with regular stability and security patches that are automatically provided and enabled by default.

Source: Google