Fire TV

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd generation, model AFTKM) is the first reference device. Every meaningful release is verified on one. Pharos is not a Fire-TV-only application — it targets Android generally — but this is the device whose constraints the design is measured against.

The device

Model / build	AFTKM
OS	Fire OS 8, Android 11 compatibility level, API 30
SoC	MediaTek MT8696D, quad-core Cortex-A55 up to ~1.7 GHz
RAM	2 GB
Storage	8 GB, considerably less free
Network	Wi-Fi 6
Output	HDMI, 4K capable, hardware video decode
Input	Bluetooth remote and controllers

Amazon's own references: identifying devices, device specifications, Fire OS 8, Fire OS overview.

What is different about Fire OS

• No Google Play Services. Anything that needs GMS does not run. Pharos never requires it; any Google-specific capability stays optional and isolated behind an interface.
• The launcher is Amazon's. Pharos does not replace it and does not claim to. Launching on boot is best-effort where the platform allows it, never a promise.
• Leanback rules apply. The app appears on the TV home screen through its banner, not its icon. Without android:banner it can be invisible there while installing perfectly.
• The remote is the whole input surface. No touch, no pointer. Anything reachable only by touch is unreachable.

Enabling developer access

1. Settings → My Fire TV → About
2. Select the device name repeatedly — around seven times — until it confirms developer options are enabled
3. Back to My Fire TV → Developer Options
4. Turn on ADB Debugging

The stick's port supplies power only, so debugging happens over the network. The full workflow — connecting, installing, driving the remote from a keyboard, reading logs, and turning debugging off again afterwards — is in Debugging on a Fire TV.

ADB over the network is a remote shell on that device. Enable it for a session on a network you control, and switch it off when you are done.

Release acceptance checklist

A release is not made until these pass on physical AFTKM hardware. The list mirrors PLAN.md §66.

• [ ] Installs via ADB
• [ ] Launches
• [ ] No Google Play dependency failure
• [ ] D-pad navigation works throughout
• [ ] Focus is always visible
• [ ] Back behaves predictably everywhere
• [ ] 1080p layout is correct
• [ ] 4K scaling is acceptable
• [ ] Recovers from Wi-Fi loss
• [ ] WebSocket reconnects
• [ ] MQTT works when enabled
• [ ] Media plays when enabled
• [ ] Extended idle does not break the app
• [ ] No obvious memory growth over a long run
• [ ] No secrets in logs
• [ ] Alert interruption works
• [ ] The previous screen is restored afterwards
• [ ] Every settings screen is usable with the remote