Say Goodbye to Android: Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is Moving On!

Amazon could end its run on Android for devices like the Fire TV Stick and switch to its own operating system called Vega OS, according to reports this week. As you may be aware, the company has been using a forked version of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on its Fire TV Stick and Fire tablets. But now it seems willing to move in-house to a new platform that will eventually cover all Amazon products.

The company had a big AI event recently, but we didn’t hear anything about Amazon’s decision to stop using Android as its base platform. The Vega operating system is rumored to be based on Linux, which could help the company adjust the user interface and provide more proactive support for future versions.

The report also mentions that the Fire TV will be the first to get the new Vega OS platform, and gradually you may see Echo Show smart display devices using the new platform as well. That could be a big change for Amazon, and history shows that ditching Android doesn’t always work out.

You have the examples of Samsung and Huawei who decided to offer their own platforms but things didn’t work out in their favor, although one of them had to stop using Android after it faced sanctions for working with US companies.

But these cases are enough to tell you why quitting Android won’t work in most cases, especially if you operate in the mobile ecosystem. Many of you may be wondering what will happen to the existing Fire TV devices that Amazon has sold over the years, because if Vega OS is not compatible with older devices, Amazon will be in an awkward position with consumers.

Amazon is bringing in Microsoft’s Panos Panay to head up its hardware division, and it’s likely Panay will have more details about the supposed new operating system in the coming months.