Amazon has been working on an in-house replacement for its Android-based Fire OS, codenamed "Vega" and built for easier app development, according to
reporting from Janko Roettgers at Lowpass.
Based on
job listings, multiple sources, forum posts, and unguarded LinkedIn boasts, Roettgers writes that Amazon has been working on Vega since at least 2019, is mostly done with the core development, and is now focused on an SDK and developer outreach.
Vega would replace the Fire OS that is installed on Fire TV sticks and televisions, Kindle Fire tablets, and other Amazon devices. Vega, based on "a flavor of Linux," uses the popular JavaScript-based
React Native as an application framework. This could simplify development for Fire devices alongside other React-ready platforms, including smartphones, desktops, and other smart TVs.
Vega could start shipping on Fire TV devices as early as next year, according to Roettgers' sources. From there, the web-minded OS could move onto Echo smart displays, Fire tablets, and then future Amazon efforts, like in-car entertainment systems. Roettgers notes that with a custom OS, Amazon could better control the deployment of advertising and paid services to "a wide range of inexpensive devices."