Google OnHub has Chrome OS inside

By Chris Burns/Oct. 9, 2015 1:05 pm EST

A group of developers opens up the Google OnHub smart router's software to find that it runs Chrome OS. That means the device is a Chromebook – or a Chrome... Hub... as it were. While it doesn't mean you're going to be connecting the machine to a display and using it as a Chromebox any time soon, it does mean that there's far more potential for this OnHub device than Google is letting on initially. This all points to smart home control.

If you'll remember back to the iFixit OnHub teardown, the crew revealed several bits and pieces that lend themselves to future smart home applicability. Inside you'll find the Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8064 internet processor as well as the Silicon Labs EM3581 SOC network co-processor. The Skyworks 66109 clocked at 2.4 GHz can also be found inside this unit.

See our feature on how Google OnHub will be your smart home hub

The Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8064 Internet Processor is made to work in routers – the next generation of routers made for smart connectivity. Again, even though we have this Qualcomm processor with 2 Krait 300 CPUs clocked at 1.4GHz as well as Micron MT41K256M16HA 4 Gb DDR3L SDRAM for software storage, this doesn't mean we're going to be playing Angry Birds on this device any time soon.

NOTE: As Android Police suggest, there's a USB port at the back of this device as well that Google has not yet turned on.

Google's latest update to their OnHub homepage includes the following bit of information: "OnHub connects with your laptop or tablet through 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, and includes next-generation technologies like Bluetooth® Smart Ready, Weave, and 802.15.4, so that over time it will support a growing number of 'smart devices.'"

It's time to Weave with Google On. Stay close to @GoogleOnCentral on Twitter for more.

Above you'll see the most recent video spot from Nest showing how Google's OnHub will be used with Weave and the whole Next family of smart devices. Below you'll see the folks at The Exploiters root the Google OnHub and find Chrome OS waiting for them inside.