Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K with Vega OS instead of Android: What changes for you

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K with Vega OS instead of Android: What changes for you.

If you use a Fire TV Stick, it has so far run on Google's Android operating system – more precisely, a customized version of it. That's changing now. According to heise online, Amazon is launching a new Fire TV Stick 4K that no longer uses Android but rather its own Vega OS.

This is the first time a Fire TV device ships without an Android base out of the box. What this means in practice for app selection, updates, or compatibility can't yet be estimated – the Heise report doesn't yet provide details on the scope of features.

New Alexa Remote: Operable Blind

Alongside the new stick, Amazon is introducing a new Alexa remote, according to heise online. It's specifically designed to be operable blind – i.e., without looking. This is particularly interesting for users who watch in the dark or have impaired vision.

What does the OS switch mean for you?

In short: The new stick breaks with a constant of many years. Fire TV devices have so far run on Android, albeit in a heavily customized variant. With Vega OS, Amazon is going its own way – how deep the cut goes will be shown by initial tests. If you're using your existing Fire TV Stick, you don't need to worry for now, according to the Heise report: the switch affects only the new model.

As soon as price, market launch, and app compatibility are officially announced, you'll find the details here.