Amazon is leaving Fire Sticks behind with its latest update ‣ Diverse Daily

When Amazon announced Vega OS last year, its new Linux-based operating system, there was widespread concern that the company would stop developing Fire OS, the Android-based operating system it’s used on its Fire TV devices for well over a decade, and replace it completely with Vega OS.

Amazon quickly quelled those concerns by affirming that it was now a “multi-OS company” and would continue to support and develop Vega OS and Fire OS simultaneously. So far, the company has been true to its word and has continued to update both platforms, including rolling out its redesigned Fire TV user interface to both Fire OS and Vega OS devices.

However, despite its new “multi-OS” approach, one core issue remains with Vega OS and its implementation on new devices, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Fire TV Stick HD: It doesn’t support sideloading. That means you can’t install third-party apps and launchers on Vega OS as you can on Android-based Fire Sticks, which Amazon says it has done intentionally for “enhanced security.”

What stings even more is that Amazon has also confirmed that all future Fire Sticks will run Vega OS. That means the company will never release a new Android-based Fire TV Stick again, leaving new Fire OS updates exclusive to smart TVs.

And that’s exactly what’s happening with Amazon’s newest Fire OS update: Fire OS 16.

Fire OS 16 is launching soon, but Fire Sticks are missing out

Amazon is reportedly asking developers to prepare for its upcoming launch

Amazon confirmed it was working on Fire OS 16 in May, after launching Fire OS 14 on new smart TVs earlier in the year. Fire OS 16 is based on Android 16, a much newer version of Android, which means it includes the latest performance optimizations and bug fixes and should also help future-proof devices running it. Since it’s one of the newest versions of Android, with only Android 17 being newer, more apps should support it, and that support should last much longer, too, especially since Android 16 only debuted in 2025.

So, while we already have an inkling of what Fire OS 16 will bring to the table, the big question now is when Amazon plans to launch it with new smart TVs. According to the company’s latest email, that could be sooner rather than later.

According to AFTV News, Amazon is preparing to launch new smart TVs running Fire OS 16 soon and has started emailing developers about it. Reportedly, an email sent to Fire TV developers begins with, “As we approach the launch of new Fire TV devices running on Fire OS 16…,” with Amazon asking developers to update their Fire TV apps to support the new OS version.

Given Amazon’s track record of holding hardware reveal events in September, this could indicate that we might see new smart TVs running Fire OS 16 announced next month, for release before the end of the year. However, that’s just speculation for now, and Amazon has yet to announce any such event.

What does the future hold for Fire Sticks?

There’s still hope for the Fire TV Cube

Of course, the biggest bummer about Fire OS 16 is that the update isn’t coming to Fire TV Sticks, given Amazon’s confirmation that all new models will run Vega OS. Existing Android-based Fire TV Sticks won’t receive Fire OS 16 either, as Amazon never updates the Android version on them. So, if you have a Fire TV Stick running Fire OS 7 or Fire OS 8, unfortunately, a Fire OS 16 update won’t be coming to it.

As for what Amazon could be planning for its Fire TV Stick lineup, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and 4K Max are nearly three years old now, while the company has already released the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and a refreshed Fire TV Stick HD, both of which run Vega OS. With those newer models already in place, it seems likely that the 4K Plus and 4K Max could be next in line for a refresh. Amazon could potentially announce new 4K Plus and 4K Max models before the end of the year, which would effectively bring the era of Android-based Fire TV Sticks to an end. Though this is speculation on my part, as Amazon hasn’t confirmed any of its future Fire TV Stick releases yet.

Beyond Fire TV Sticks, there is still one device I’m holding out hope for: the Fire TV Cube. Amazon hasn’t released a new version of its set-top Fire TV Cube since 2022, and so far, it hasn’t given us any indication of what its future plans are for the device. I’m really hoping Amazon will release a new Fire TV Cube running Fire OS 16 rather than Vega OS, but given the direction the company is taking with its Fire TV Sticks, the chances of that happening do seem pretty slim.