[nine_k]

There are devices where both BOM and size constraints matter. Do you want to run Linux on every smart power socket, smart light switch, smart light bulb in your house? A light bulb in particular has tight volumetric and thermal budgets.

This is where stuff like ESP8266, and the controller from the post, makes sense.

[ohazi]

I don't own any smart bulbs, but yeah -- this is a good example of a case where using a microcontroller is probably reasonable. I can't imagine people enjoy paying >$25 per bulb, and there's evidence that users are willing to put up with some truly appalling UX to get those things connected [1].

Amusingly, the most reliable smart outlet I own runs Linux on that MediaTek SoC I linked above (~500 MHz MIPS, 32MB RAM). I mean, power is definitely not a constraint when you're an inch away from the prongs, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[1] https://www.belkin.com/us/support-article?articleNum=116178