Amazon Making its Own Linux-Based OS to Replace Android
Word of Amazon’s new OS, which is being developed under the codename ‘Vega’ (resulting in me remembering the worst Android tablet I ever owned) comes by way of Lowpass‘ journalist Janko Roettgers.
Roettgers says he spoke to sources who say Amazon is building its own iOS/Android competitor and has tasked “hundreds of people” within the Amazon Device OS group with building it.
This includes former Mozilla engineer Zibi Braniecki, who tweeted earlier this year to say he is working at Amazon on a “next generation Operating System for Smart Home, Automotive, and other Amazon Devices product lines” (sic).
“Most of the OS development is already done,” Roettgers’ sources add. They say they expect Vega to begin shipping on Fire TVs early next year. Additionally, an SDK is being readied for release so developers have time to port their apps to it ahead of its debut.
Android Police:
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Amazon is getting ready to ditch Android on its Fire hardware
Amazon offers a variety of smart home products, including smart TVs, smart displays, and smart speakers. They all run on the company's own Fire OS, a fork of Android. This has allowed Amazon to offer the best of both worlds: Android app compatibility while customizing the OS per its requirements. But it appears Amazon is building an alternate operating system to replace the Android-based OS on its devices. A report sheds light on "Vega," which is what Amazon's new operating system is called internally.
The LowPass report claims the OS is in the advanced stages of development and has already been tested on some Fire TV streaming sticks. Amazon has apparently even informed some of its partners about transitioning to a new application framework, indicating that Vega is not Android-based. The company purportedly plans to ship Vega as the default OS on some Fire TV devices starting in 2024.
One more:
Gizmodo: