Fire OS
Fire OS is a mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project. It is developed by Amazon for their devices. Fire OS includes proprietary software, a customized user interface primarily centered on content consumption, and heavy ties to content available from Amazon's storefronts and services.
Screenshot Fire OS 7.3.1.7 running on the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (10th generation) | |
| Developer | Amazon |
|---|---|
| Written in | C (core), C++, Java (UI)[1] |
| OS family | Unix-like (Linux) |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Based on the Android Open source project,[2] with Proprietary software & Proprietary components[3] |
| Latest release |
|
| Marketing target | Budget/Low priced tablet market, Members of the Amazon Ecosystem |
| Package manager | APK |
| Platforms | 32-bit and 64-bit ARM |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (modified Linux kernel) |
| Userland | Bionic libc,[5] mksh shell,[6] native core utilities with a few from NetBSD[7] |
| Default user interface | Graphical (Multi-touch) |
| License | Proprietary EULA; based on Apache License 2.0 Modified Linux kernel under GNU GPL v2[8] |
| Official website | developer |
History
Amazon began referring to the Android derivative as Fire OS with its third iteration of Fire tablets. Unlike previous Fire models, whose operating system was described as "based on" Android, Fire OS 3.0 was described as "compatible with" Android.[citation needed]
Fire OS 5
Based on Android 5.1 "Lollipop",[9] it added an updated interface. The home screen has a traditional application grid and pages for content types, as opposed to the previous carousel interface. It also introduced On Deck, a function that automatically moves content out of offline storage to maintain storage space for new content; the Word Runner speed reading tool; and screen color filters. Parental controls were enhanced with a new web browser for FreeTime mode featuring a curated selection of content appropriate for children, and an Activity Center for monitoring children's usage.[10][11][12] It removed support for device encryption, which an Amazon spokesperson stated was an enterprise-oriented feature that was underused. In March 2016, after the removal was publicized and criticized in the wake of the FBI–Apple encryption dispute, Amazon announced it would restore the feature in a future patch.[13][14]
Fire OS 6
Based on Android 7.1.2 "Nougat", its main changes and additions include:[15]
- Adoptable storage, allowing users to format and use their SD card as internal storage
- Doze/App standby, aiming to improve battery life by forcing devices to sleep when not actively used, adding restrictions to apps that would normally continue to run background processes
MediaTek exploits (2019)
In early 2019, security exploits for six Fire Tablet models and one Fire TV model[16] were discovered that could allow temporary root access, permanent root access, and bootloader unlocking[note 1] [17][18] due to security vulnerabilities in multiple MediaTek chipsets.[19][20][21]
Fire OS 7
Based on Android 9.0 "Pie",[22] it was released in 2019 for all 8th-11th generation Fire tablets.
In February 2022, Amazon announced that the Docs app would be replaced (in August 2022) by document creation functionality in the Files app;[citation needed] and introduced an improved home editing system.[23]
Fire OS 8
FireOS 8 is the latest release of FireOS for the 12th generation Fire 7, based on Android 11, information about the release became available via Amazon developer documentation around May 2022.
FireOS 8 incorporates changes from Android 10 and Android 11, although it is noted in the Amazon developer documentation that some Android 11 features such as File Based Encryption (FBE) are not supported yet,[24]
Some of the new changes in FireOS 8 include:[citation needed]
Note: new changes/features (e.g: changes for developers) may be excluded
- Android 10 updates
- TLS 1.3 support enabled by default
- Invoke Setting Panel from within app
- Sharing improvements
- Access to device location in background
- Restrictions on starting activities from the background
- High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) format
- Dark theme
- Android 11 updates
- APK Signature Scheme v2 now required
- One-time permissions
Features
Fire OS does not come with Google mobile services pre-installed, therefore Amazon cannot use the Android trademarks to market the devices.[3] although users are able to sideload the Google Play store[25] full compatibility is not guaranteed if the app depends on Google services.[26]
Because Google services are not pre-installed, Amazon develops and uses its own apps in their place, some of which include Amazon Appstore, Amazon Alexa, Prime Video, Amazon Music, Audible, Kindle Store, Silk Browser and Here WeGo.[27][28]
Fire OS uses a customized home screen (launcher), as of Fire OS 7.3.2.3 the launcher features 3 sections:
- "For You" shows the weather, recently used apps, Alexa integration, then shows recommended content such as apps, books movies, etc.
- "Home" is the section for the icons of all of the apps currently installed on the device, apps on the Home section can be moved around or put into folders, a search bar is also available at the top of the launcher to search though local content on the device or search online using the Bing search engine.
- "Library"
Fire OS provides integration with Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter. X-Ray is also integrated into its playback functions, allowing users to access supplemental information on what they are currently viewing. The OS features a user system,[citation needed]
Along with Amazon Kids and Amazon Kids+, a suite of parental controls is included which allow parents to set limits and restrictions for minors.[29]
Devices
Current Amazon devices running Fire OS:
- Fire Tablets - manufactured by Quanta Computer
- Fire TV - manufactured by Foxconn
- Amazon Echo / Amazon Echo Show - manufactured by Amazon
Discontinued devices running Fire OS:
- Fire Phone - manufactured by Foxconn
List of Fire OS versions
| Fire OS version | Base Android Version | Android API level | Compatible Devices | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.3.3 | 10 | Kindle Fire | Reported as "Based on Android" |
| 2 | 4.0.3 | 15 | Kindle Fire HD | Reported "Based on Android" |
| 3 | 4.2.2 | 17[30][31][32] | Fire HD (2nd generation), Fire HDX | Reported as "Compatible with Android" |
| 4 | 4.4.2 | 19[33][34] | Fire HD (3rd generation), Fire HDX (2nd generation) | |
| 4.5.1 | 4.4.3 | 19[35][36][37] | ||
| 5.0 | 5.1 | 22[38] | Fire 7 (7th generation) | |
| 6 | 7.1.2 | 25[39] | Fire HD 8 (8th generation) | |
| 7 | 9 Pie | 28[40] | Fire HD 8/8+ (10 generation) Fire HD 10/10+ (11 generation) | |
| 8 | 11 | 30 | Fire 7 (12th generation) Fire HD 8 (12th Generation) | Some Android 11 features such as File Based Encryption (FBE) are not supported in Fire OS 8 [24] |
The releases are categorized by major Fire OS versions based upon a certain Android codebase first and then sorted chronologically.
- Fire OS 1 – based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- system version = 6.3.1
- system version = 6.3.2 – longer movie rentals, Amazon cloud synchronization
- system version = 6.3.4 – latest version for Kindle Fire (1st Generation) (2011)
- Fire OS 2 – based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- system version = 7.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire HD (2nd Generation) (7" 2012)
- system version = 8.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (2nd Generation) (2012)
- system version = 10.5.1 – latest version for Kindle Fire (2nd Generation) (2012)
- Fire OS 2.4 – based on Android 4.0.3(?)
- Fire OS 3 Mojito – based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- 3.1[41]
- 3.2.8 – rollback point for Kindle Fire HDX (2013)
- 3.5.0 – introduces support for Fire Phone; Android 4.2.2 codebase
- 3.5.1 – Fire Phone maintenance version
- Fire OS 4 Sangria – based on Android 4.4 KitKat
- 4.1.1
- 4.5.5.1
- 4.5.5.2
- 4.5.5.3 – latest version for some tablets released in 2013, Kindle Fire HDX (3rd Generation), Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" (3rd Generation), Kindle Fire HD (3rd Generation)
- 4.5.5.5 – latest version for some tablets released in 2013 (e.g. some Kindle Fire tablets of 3rd Generation)
- 4.6.6.0 – Fire Phone
- 4.6.6.1 – latest version for the Fire Phone
- 4.7.8.4 – Last version for the fire phone (2019)
- 4.8.2.9 – Last version for the fire phone (2019)
- Fire OS 5 Bellini – based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
- 5.0[42]
- 5.0.5.1 – introduction of Fire TV
- 5.0.1
- 5.1.1[43]
- 5.1.2
- 5.1.2.1
- 5.1.4
- 5.2.1.0 – Fire TV devices
- 5.2.1.1
- 5.2.1.2
- 5.2.4.0
- 5.2.6.0
- 5.2.6.1
- 5.2.6.2
- 5.2.8.4
- 5.3.1.0
- 5.3.1.1 – August 2016
- 5.3.2.0 – November 2016
- 5.3.2.1 – December 2016
- 5.3.3.0 – March 2017
- 5.3.6.4 – version for Fire HD 8 (6th Generation)
- 5.3.6.8
- 5.3.7.0
- 5.3.7.1
- 5.3.7.2 – for Fire HD 8 & Fire HD 10 (7th Generation)
- 5.4.0.0 – June 2017
- 5.4.0.1 – August 2017
- 5.5.0.0 – November 2017: Only for Fire HD 10 (2017) with hands-free Alexa
- 5.6.0.0 – November 2017
- 5.6.0.1 – January 2018
- 5.6.1.0 – March 2018: version for tablets released in 2014 (e.g. some Fire tablets of 4th Generation)
- 5.6.2.0 – July 2018: Hands-Free Alexa For Fire 7 & HD 8 (2017) only
- 5.6.2.3 – April 2018: Latest version for first and second generation Fire TV devices
- 5.6.3.0 – November 2018: for Fire 7 (5th to 7th Generation); Due to a mistake, this version was accidentally released as 5.3.6.4 on some Fire tablets instead of 5.6.3.0, but includes the same update features.
- 5.6.3.8 – April 2019
- 5.6.4.0 – May 2019, September 2019: for Fire HD 8
- 5.6.6.0 – May 2020
- 5.6.7.0 – August 2020
- 5.6.8.0 – November 2020: Latest version for Fire (5th Generation), Fire HD 6 (4th Generation), Fire HD 7 (4th Generation), Fire HD 8 (5th and 6th Generation), Fire HDX 8.9 (4th Generation), and Fire HD 10 (5th Generation)[44]
- 5.6.9.0 - December 2020
- 5.7.0.0 – February 2022: Latest version for Fire (7th Generation), Fire HD 8 (7th Generation), and Fire HD 10 (7th Generation)
- 5.8.6.8 – July 2019
- 5.8.7.9 – August 2019
- 5.7.8.2 – September 2019
- Fire OS 6 – based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat
- 6.2.1.0 – October 2017, released on third generation Fire TV
- 6.2.1.2 – December 2017[45]
- 6.2.1.3 – May 2018[46]
- 6.3.0.1 – November 2018
- 6.3.1.2 – July 2019: version for Fire 7 (9th Generation)
- 6.3.1.3 (information needed)
- 6.3.1.4 (information needed)
- 6.3.1.5 – September 2019: last version of FireOS 6 for Fire HD 8 (8th generation)
- 6.5.3.4 – September 2019: Last version for Fire 7 (7th generation)
- 6.5.3.5 – November 2019
- Fire OS 7 – based on Android 9.0 Pie
- 7.3.1.0 – October 2019: First version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)[47]
- 7.3.1.1 – October 2019: Second version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)
- 7.3.1.2 – February 2020: Third version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)
- 7.3.1.3 – April 2020: Fourth version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)
- 7.3.1.4 – June 2020: Fifth version for Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)
- 7.3.1.5 – August 2020: First version of FireOS 7 for Fire HD 8 (8th Generation)
- 7.3.1.6 – October 2020
- 7.3.1.7 – November 2020
- 7.3.1.8 – February 2021
- 7.3.1.9 – May 2021
- 7.3.2.1 – September 2021
- 7.3.2.2 – November 2021
- 7.3.2.3 – May 2022
- 7.3.2.4 – August 2022
- 7.3.2.6 – November 2022: Latest version for 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Generation Fire Tablets[44]
- Fire OS 8 - based on Android 11 (Red Velvet Cake [note 2] [48])
- 8.3.1.0 - June? 2022: Included on some 12th Gen Fire 7 units out of the box
- 8.3.1.1 – June 28, 2022: Known first version for the 12th Generation Fire 7
- 8.3.1.2 - September?, 2022
- 8.3.1.3 - November 26, 2022: Latest version for 12th Generation Fire Tablets
Notes
- ^ These exploits usually depend on certain factors such as: Fire OS version, bootloader/fastboot/recovery version, date the device was released (eg. in the case of hardware exploits because the exploit may be fixed with a new revision), etc.
- ^ Google stopped publicly using dessert names after Android 9 (Pie), but as of writing the dessert names are still used internally (at Google and in AOSP).
See also
- Nokia X software platform, a similar fork by Nokia
- Tizen, a Linux-based OS by Samsung Electronics with an optional Android runtime
- Sailfish OS, a Linux-based mobile OS by Jolla which includes an Android runtime
- BlackBerry 10, a QNX-based mobile OS by BlackBerry which includes an Android runtime and comes with the Amazon Appstore preloaded
- Comparison of mobile operating systems
References
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- ^ . Android Open Source Project. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ a b "Google's iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary". Ars Technica. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
- ^ "Fire Tablet Software Updates".
- ^ "libc – platform/bionic – Git at Google". android.googlesource.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "master – platform/external/mksh – Git at Google". android.googlesource.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ . Archived from the original on February 9, 2014.
- ^ "Licenses". Android Open Source Project. Open Handset Alliance. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ^ "Fire OS Overview". Amazon Appstore Developer Portal. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "What's new in Amazon Fire OS 5 Bellini?". Pocket-lint. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet a rare misfire for company". Fortune. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Feature-stuffed Fire OS update makes Amazon's tablets even more kid-friendly". PC World. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Amazon quietly disabled encryption in the latest version of Fire OS". The Verge. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Amazon pledges to bring device encryption back to Fire OS this spring". The Verge. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Fire OS 6 for Fire Tablets". www.developer.amazon.com. September 13, 2021. from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Rapid Temporary Root for HD 8 & HD 10". XDA Forums. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Fire HD 8 (2018 ONLY) unbrick, downgrade, unlock & root". XDA Forums. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "[UNLOCK][ROOT][TWRP][UNBRICK] Fire HD 8 2018 (karnak) amonet-3". XDA Forums. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Critical MediaTek rootkit affects millions of Android devices". xda-developers. March 2, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Android Security Bulletin—March 2020". Android Open Source Project. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Amazing Temp Root for MediaTek ARMv8 [2020-08-24]". XDA Forums. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Fire OS 7 for Fire Tablets (Fire Tablets)". Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "(Discord screenshot)". Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ a b "Fire OS 8 for Fire Tablets". Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "How to Install the Google Play Store on the Amazon Fire Tablet or Fire HD 8". How-To Geek. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Segan, Sascha (December 2013). "How To Run Free Android Apps On the Kindle Fire". PC Magazine.
- ^ "Here's What You Need to Know About Amazon's Fire OS". Lifewire. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "How the Kindle Fire Works". HowStuffWorks. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Hands On With Amazon Kindle FreeTime". PC Magazine. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ Hollister, Sean (September 28, 2011). "Amazon's Kindle Fire UI: it's Android, but not quite". This Is My Next.
- ^ "Amazon confirms Kindle Fire HD models use Android 4.0 under the hood". Engadget. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ . Amazon developer portal. Amazon.com Inc. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- ^ Wiygul, Henry (September 17, 2014). "What's new with Amazon's Fire OS 4.0 "Sangria"?". Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. "Amazon begins rollout of Fire OS 4.5.1". ZDNet.
- ^ "Amazon.com Help: Fire HD 6 (4th Generation) Software Updates".
- ^ "SDK Platform release notes". Android Developers. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Devices | Amazon Appstore Developer Portal". developer.amazon.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Developing for Fire tablets". Amazon. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ "Fire OS 7 for Fire Tablets". Amazon. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ "Redirect | None". developer.amazon.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "What's new in Amazon Fire OS 5 Bellini? – Pocket-lint". www.pocket-lint.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Customer Discussions: Fire OS 5.1.1 Available for Download". www.amazon.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "Fire Tablet Software Updates". Amazon. from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Saba, Elias. "Software update 6.2.1.2 rolling out to the Amazon Fire TV 3". aftvnews.com.
- ^ Saba, Elias. "New software update 6.2.1.3 released for the Amazon Fire TV 3". aftvnews.com.
- ^ "Fire OS 7 for Fire Tablets (Fire Tablets) | Fire Tablets". developer.amazon.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Android 11 is codenamed Red Velvet Cake — but Google won't call it that". Retrieved June 14, 2022.
External links
- Official website