Google planned the deletion of Android Things , a version extremely lightened by Android designed for smart home devices. The operating system has never reached great levels of adoption and never achieved great success, so Google’s decision doesn’t surprise much . This is one of the many projects canceled by the company, whose enormous success hides numerous failed and ended experiments in a huge cemetery full of finished projects.

Android Things originates in 2015, inside of a project that was called Brillo and which intended to create an operating system at the base of the world of the Internet of Things. A year later, Google relaunched the initiative under the name Android Things, which evolved for introduction on more complex devices, such as connected speakers, security cameras or routers. At the base of the redesign was the need to offer a platform known to developers.

Based on Android and probably similar development dynamics, the operating system would have captured the attention of the insiders, at least according to Google’s initial idea. In reality, however, it did not go quite like this . In the 2018 some (few) products, such as smart speakers or smart displays, have relied on Android Things , but it didn’t last long. At the beginning 2019, in fact, Google announced new plans for the operating system.

Two years later, however, the news of the cancellation of the project arrived. The Android Things Console, where developers can upload device updates, will no longer accept non-commercial projects starting January 5th 2021. One year later, on January 5th 2022, “the console will be completely disabled and all project data will be permanently deleted” , Google pointed out. The developers therefore have about a year to suspend all their projects and decree their end without the possibility of second thoughts.

This is a an unglorious end for a project that was introduced into a very sparkling market , such as that of home automation and Smart Home, which is growing above all in terms of interest by people and potential users. However, Google has not managed to make its mark with respect to the many proposals already present, and therefore Android Things is destined to die with unusually fast timing.