Amazon has already started replacing Android on the Echo Show 5: how to check it
A few days ago we talked about the hypothesis that Amazon would abandon the use of Android on Fire TV, smart displays and other devices, in favor of an operating system developed in house, from the hypothetical name of Vega. The hypothesis was that this mysterious OS would debut on Fire TV Stick, but this is not the case, because apparently Echo Show 5 is the first Amazon device to have it silently installed.
As reported by Zatz Not Funny!, the new home OS is currently only referred to as “OS 1.1” in the smart display settings, which until recently used FireOS. The update occurs silently, without notifying the user that it is happening at all changing operating systemif automatic updates are enabled.
After all Does this make sense that the debut device is not a Fire TV: Echo Show is in fact a window on the smart home and Amazon services, while the various Fire TV Sticks offer a large catalog of third-party applicationswhich cannot run natively on the new operating system without some intervention from the developers.
After all, Google has also been testing Fuchsia for some time on its smart displays and, just like on the Nest Hub, it is not easy to notice the differences on the Echo Show 5 either.
The easiest way to check if you are using a “new” Echo Show 5 is to go to the settings, under “device options“, and check the version of the operating system: if you find Fire OS written then you are still with the Android-based version. It is important to note that at the moment only the Echo Shows from third generationbut we can’t rule out that Amazon has expanded the rollout.
Regarding the functionality, as mentioned, there doesn’t seem to be any significant news, but it’s also true that the Echo Show 5 has limited functions of its own. The test bench will be more interesting Fire TV Stickwhere, excluding apps, the options available to the user on Fire OS are numerous, and it is not a given that they will all remain on the new operating system.
For Amazon, however, there is nothing else but to do earn from a decision of this kind: meanwhile i times updates will no longer be tied to Android, and advertising revenues will certainly also be maximized, having total control of the operating system. And now that the transition has officially begun it’s no longer a question of selfbut only about when.
