IoT Chronicles: April 2025

Welcome back to IoT Chronicles!

April has been packed with pivotal updates from the intersection of IoT, AI, and next-gen connectivity.

1. Qualcomm Acquires Generative AI Division of VinAI

In April 2025, Qualcomm acquired the generative AI division of Vietnamese startup VinAI, founded by former DeepMind researcher Dr. Hung Bui. VinAI specializes in AI technologies such as computer vision and language models, with applications in automotive systems like in-cabin monitoring and smart parking. This acquisition, following Qualcomm's earlier purchase of Edge Impulse, underscores the company's commitment to enhancing on-device AI capabilities across smartphones, PCs, and vehicles. Bui and his team will join Qualcomm to contribute to its expanding AI initiatives.

📍 TechCrunch

2. ESP32-C5 Enters Mass Production: Wi-Fi 6 and RISC-V for IoT

Espressif has officially announced that the ESP32-C5, the industry’s first RISC-V SoC supporting dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), is now in mass production as of April 30, 2025. The chip also supports Bluetooth 5 (LE) and IEEE 802.15.4 protocols like Zigbee and Thread, making it ideal for advanced, low-latency IoT applications. With a 240 MHz processor, up to 29 GPIOs, and power-efficient design, it’s built for both performance and energy-conscious devices. The ESP32-C5 will be supported in ESP-IDF v5.5, and development boards are already available for purchase through Espressif’s official channels.

📍 Espressif

3. LlamaCon: Meta’s First AI Dev Event Puts Open-Source Front and Center

Meta hosted its first-ever AI developer conference, LlamaCon, on April 29, 2025, at its Menlo Park headquarters. The event centered around the company's Llama family of open AI models, featuring keynotes from Meta executives and fireside chats with tech leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. During the conference, Meta announced the launch of a consumer-facing Meta AI chatbot app, designed to compete with ChatGPT, and introduced a developer-facing API for accessing Llama models in the cloud. These initiatives aim to expand the adoption of Meta's open-source AI tools and position the company as a significant player in the AI ecosystem.

Interested in more? Check out everything that was announced at the conference here.

📍 TechCrunch, TechCrunch, TechCrunch

4. Get Ready for Google I/O: AI, Android, and Smarter Devices

Google I/O 2025 is set to take place on May 20–21, with livestreamed sessions from Mountain View. The event will feature keynotes from Google and developer teams, focusing on advancements across AI, Android, web, and cloud technologies. Highlights include updates on Gemini AI models, Android development tools, and new web APIs. Sessions will also cover topics like multimodal AI APIs, adaptive user experiences, and productivity enhancements using Google Play.

Full event program here.

📍Google Developers Blog

5. Vodafone Leverages IoT and AI to Protect UK National Parks

On April 29, 2025, Vodafone announced a three-year partnership with UK National Parks to deploy IoT and AI technologies aimed at conservation efforts. The initiative includes AI-powered habitat mapping, biodiversity monitoring, and visitor impact analytics across all 15 UK National Parks. These technologies will provide park authorities with real-time, high-resolution data to enhance ecosystem protection and engage local communities.

📍 National Parks UK, BusinessGreen

6. World IoT Day 2025

World IoT Day 2025 was celebrated globally on April 9th, marking the 15th anniversary of this annual event. Organized by the IoT Council, the day featured a variety of online and in-person events aimed at discussing the progress and future of IoT technologies. The 2025 theme, "The Next Fifteen Years," focused on the integration of AI and IoT, emphasizing the need for improved security, governance, and standardization to address emerging challenges. Events worldwide provided platforms for citizens, industry experts, and policymakers to collaborate on advancing IoT developments across borders.

📍 IoT Day

That's a wrap!

Major IoT and AI developments made headlines, from Qualcomm's acquisition of VinAI's AI division to the mass production of Espressif's ESP32-C5 chip. Notable events like Meta’s LlamaCon AI conference and Vodafone’s IoT-driven conservation efforts in UK National Parks also highlighted the growing impact of these technologies.