Google has launched an Android-based device OS for the Internet of Things (IoT) called Android Things.

Google's Android Things

Google presents details about its new Android Things on the Android developer website. According to the giant tech company, Android Things software combined with Weave will play a crucial role in its IoT strategy.

Android Things increases the competition on the device market with a new OS while Microsoft is pushing its own Windows 10 IoT to OEMs and hobbyists. Amazon doesn't have a device OS, however, the company is making AWS Lambda available to IoT developers. Device manufacturers will partner with AWS to bundle a local version of AWS Lambda that can be installed in hubs and IoT devices. The local version of AWS Lambda is called Lambda Greengrass, according to Forbes.

Mainstream cloud providers such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon are all counting on the IoT strategy to promote their respective cloud platforms. Google's Android Things is the latest platform that aims to connect the dots between the IoT devices and the cloud.

Android Things' Features

According to Programmable Web, Google's Android Things software comes with its own APIs and SDK so developers can get to work. The platform relies on components of Weave and Brillo.

This week has been released a Developer Preview of Android Things. According to Google, this IoT platform is expected to "bring computing to a whole new range of devices." By using Google services and Android APIs, developers will be able to build smart devices based on the world's top operating system.

Developers working on designing new apps for the Android Things platform will have access to the familiar Android Studio toolset. According to Google, Android Things relies on Android Studio, Google Play Services, the Android SDK and Google Cloud Platform. The company will update Android Things with regular OS and security patches the same way it updates the main Android platform.