Google has just struck a deal with Amazon that will allow all Android partners to produce Amazon Fire TVs.
Google and Amazon Finally Shake Hands Over a Long-running Smart TV Debacle
If you have been keeping up with the trends, there was a report a few years ago that talked about a condition in Google's licensing agreements with partners required that they could not produce Amazon Fire TV products alongside Android TV OS or other Android products. This wasn't just a move to prevent competition as partners could still go ahead and release Roku products but it was more or less because for Google, the Fire TV was just another obstacle or a bone of contention.
This bone of contention actually prevented a lot of brands such as TCL, Xiaomi, and HiSense from making Amazon Fire TV models for years, even though those brands have been selling smart TVs that ship with Android TV, along with tablets and smartphones.
This is all changing because according to news from Protocol, Amazon and Google have struck a deal in "recent months" that allows fire TV models to be produced by Android TV manufacturers.
As a matter of fact, this has happened already since Xiaomi and Hisense both launched smart TVs that were using Amazon Fire TV but now we are seeing offerings from TCL and Amazon that will be launching in Europe and some other regions.
Google still has not made a remark on its deal with Amazon or any changes made to allow Fire TVs from its partners. Let's see if Google comes forward and issues a statement regarding this situation.
Meanwhile, let us know what you think of this arrangement between both companies and whether or not it will benefit you. It certainly is a step in the right direction considering how Google is letting go off the power it holds over other manufacturers, even by a smaller degree.
About the author: I have been tinkering with Android devices ever since the early days of the HTC Desire. Over time, I have grown a fondness for the ecosystem and now I cannot live without it. Although some might believe that I have sold my soul to Android, but I believe it is not the case. You can find me writing tutorials and posting guides on a number of different smartphones. When I am not writing here, I am wasting myself away in books, journals, or on Steam.
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