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Amazon pushes ahead with new Vega TV OS, plans to release first non-Android streaming device this year

Amazon continues to pursue a transition away from Android for its TV hardware: The company plans to release a first TV streaming device powered by its still-unannounced Vega OS later this year and has been courting major publishers to bring their apps to the platform, I’ve been able to confirm with sources familiar with the company’s plans as well as through a number of leaks.

An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

Vega is a Linux-based operating system that may one day replace Amazon’s Android-based Fire OS across a wide variety of devices, as I was first able to report in November of 2023. The company has already launched three Vega-powered devices: The company’s Echo Show 5 and Echo Hub smart displays both run Vega, as does the Echo Spot smart clock / speaker.

Amazon has been slower in adopting Vega for its smart TVs and streaming players. The company originally planned to launch a Vega-powered streaming stick in late 2024, but ultimately delayed that launch. More recently, Amazon revealed that it is bringing an updated version of its Android-based TV OS to smart TVs released this year, leading to some speculation that the company may be abandoning Vega.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, as demonstrated by a growing number of leaks.