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Summary
- Amazon is close to releasing its Linux-based OS, codenamed Vega, on a versatile streaming device.
- The report comes from over-divulgent job listings as well as tips from informed insiders.
- The new OS probably won’t support Android apps, but Amazon is working with major media publishers to develop Vega-friendly streaming services.
How often does a company spend years developing a software suite, make it available to the public without announcing it, and decline to comment on when it’ll come to more devices? That’s exactly what Amazon did in slapping its custom, Linux-based operating system on the Echo Show 5, Echo Hub, and Echo Spot.
Now, a new report based on overly informative job listings indicates Amazon is charging full steam ahead with its replacement for the Android Open Source Project-based Fire OS for its first-party tablets and TVs. In addition to a host of listings referencing the still-in-development software — codenamed Vega — the leak includes insider information claiming Amazon will release a streaming device, like a compact streaming stick or set-top box, sometime this year, with major services’ apps already in the pipeline.
What Vega puts in jeopardy
How to sideload any application to an Amazon Fire TV
Sideloading apps on Fire TV is tricky, but not impossible
A bittersweet move away from Android
And a long time in the works
Forget leaked screenshots, you’re looking at the new OS right here.
Amazon calls its not-so-secret OS Vega internally, but hasn’t actually announced it or given it an official name. That’s despite its presence on three smart home devices that launched over a year ago. Smart speakers and relatively simple smart displays don’t have the same software and interoperability demands as, say, a TV or streaming stick, though, and Amazon has spent the time since then getting Vega ready for primetime.
According to the leak, it’s almost there. Continued tidbits of information, like the software development kit’s Kepler SDK label and some noted attention to Meta’s React Native UI framework indicate the production process is well underway. Sources with knowledge of Amazon’s plans claim a streaming device is even in the works for sometime in late 2025, roughly a year after similar plans were scrapped. It’s unclear when actual Fire TVs will ship with the new software, but at least now we know for sure it’s on its way.
What Vega means for Fire TVs and tablets
One of the downsides of Fire OS devices is their lack of Google integration, but a short workaround makes it relatively easy to install the Google Play Store and nearly any Android app the tablet can run. A new OS that doesn’t rely on the AOSP — which leaves Fire OS forever lagging behind Google’s Android OS by multiple generations — could theoretically reduce the system requirement overhead even more. That would help users get the most out of the low-cost devices without running into frustrating slowdowns.
The sad part of moving to a Linux-based Vega implementation is that, barring some unforeseen developments, it’s extremely unlikely Amazon’s bespoke OS will support Android apps. That’s part of the reason Amazon’s rushing to fill more developer positions, and working directly with major media houses to get their services wrapped in new, Vega-friendly apps.
Insider sources confirmed that big-name publishers such as Paramount, Rakuten, and the BBC’s UKTV are already onboard with app development for the new platform.
