When it launched Android Things back in December, Google announced a handful of hardware partners for its Android-based internet of things operating system, including Intel Edison, NXP Pico and the Raspberry Pi 3. Qualcomm, naturally, wanted in on the action, releasing its own straightforward, if vague, response to the announcement, titled, “Qualcomm Intends to Collaborate with Google on Android Things OS to Facilitate Rapid, Scalable, Security-Focused IoT Development.”
Fair enough.
In the lead up to Mobile World Congress, the company’s got a bit more info to offer up on the subject, announcing that its Snapdragon 210 chip will support the nascent IoT OS, utilizing the processor’s integrated LTE support to serve as the power behind devices like video cameras, payment systems, electronic signs.
The San Diego-based component maker is looking toward consumer implications for the technology, which brings support for Google Cast audio to devices, including connected home products like appliances and smart assistants. Other supported features include language processing, image analysis and data processing designed to occur on hardware, rather than in the cloud.
Qualcomm believes its tech will be the first processor with built in LTE to support the new IoT OS when support launches later in the year. For good measure, it will be demoing the technology at Mobile World Congress next week.