Amazon has lengthy used Android for its good shows, TVs, and different good residence merchandise. However the Android on them is fairly unrecognizable, as it’s a forked model of AOSP with none of Google’s apps on prime. Amazon (makes an attempt to) lock down this forked model on its gadgets, however there are methods to set up the Google Play Retailer on Amazon Hearth tablets. Final week, stories emerged that Amazon was working to change to a brand new OS, however it appears that evidently the corporate has already made strikes to ditch Android.

As noticed by Zats Not Humorous by way of The Verge, Amazon has already begun utilizing its personal OS, internally known as Vega OS. This new web-centric Linux variant has been noticed on the third-generation Echo Present 5, the place Amazon has reset its software program versioning again to 1. The Echo Present 5 reveals its software program as merely “OS 1.1” as a substitute of Hearth OS 7.x or comparable.

The Echo Present 5, with this software program launch, can also be now not able to Netflix, which might make sense for a wholly new software program stack. The stories word that Vega OS’s look and consumer expertise are similar to the Hearth OS it replaces.

It’s not instantly clear when Amazon plans to make use of Vega OS on its Hearth TVs and Hearth Tablets, as these are essentially the most experiential consumer-facing merchandise within the present lineup. However once they make the change, you may safely presume that sideloading Android apps will now not be potential as the bottom OS will now not be Android, and the apps is not going to work. Different tips for disabling adverts and the likes will even not work. The brand new OS would deliver Amazon far more management over the {hardware} it ships, and that appears to be Amazon’s plan all alongside.