New Fire TV devices with Android 16 could be coming very soon

The Fire TV lineup is entering a slightly strange phase. New Fire TV Sticks are moving over to Vega OS, but Android isn’t being pushed out of the picture entirely. A couple of months ago, we learned that Fire OS 16, which is based on Android 16, is headed to Fire TV hardware. Now, signs suggest the first devices running it may not be far away.

According to a Reddit post (via AFTVnews), the company has started emailing developers whose apps could run into compatibility issues with Fire OS 16. More importantly, the message says it is getting closer to launching “new Fire TV devices running on Fire OS 16.” This strongly suggests that new Fire TV hardware running Fire OS 16 could launch soon.

That should be welcome news for anyone worried that Vega OS would eventually take over the entire Fire TV lineup. Fire OS 16 brings over changes from Android 15 and Android 16, and developers are already being encouraged to prepare their apps for newer requirements and behavioral changes. Ideally, the apps you actually use should be ready to go when the hardware lands.

It also gives us a clearer idea of how the Fire TV family could split going forward. Every new Fire TV Stick after the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is set to run Vega OS, while Fire OS will continue carrying Android underneath. For people who value Fire TV for that Android foundation and the extra flexibility it can bring, these upcoming devices are considerably more interesting.

What we still don’t know is exactly what those devices are. September would make sense given the company’s usual hardware cadence, but there’s no confirmed launch date yet. Still, developers being told to get their apps ready is usually a pretty good sign that something is getting close — and this time, Android fans may actually have a reason to pay attention to the next Fire TV launch.