Talk of an Amazon Android tablet has been hotting up for months now with Jeff Bezos repeatedly hinting that the company is set to go further than the current Kindle. Now a new report appears to have nailed firm details of what we can expect from the Amazon tablet and when we’re likely to see it.
The story, penned in part by Yukari Iwatani Kane, a reporter with a strong track record of revealing big moves from firms including Apple, says Amazon is on track to release its tablet by October. It also offers intriguing details about the hardware…
The report claims the first Amazon Android tablet will arrive with a 9in screen and without a camera. That would put it at a disadvantage versus the iPad 2 with its 9.7in screen and dual cameras. However, Amazon is said to be outsourcing the design of the initial Amazon Android tablet to an Asian manufacturer and aiming to offer it at a substantially lower price.
The rumour suggests that Amazon is working on a second Android tablet to be released next year using its own design. Previous reports predicted we’d see two Amazon Android tablets this year with one using the current dual-core Tegra 2 processor and the other a quad-core Nvidia Kal-El chip.
It also appears that the Amazon tablet line will run alongside a refreshed Kindle line up. Amazon is said to be planning two new versions of the Kindle to be released later this year with one model including a touchscreen.
If Amazon does out its Amazon Android tablet in October, it will also find itself facing competition from the new Sony Android tablets which are due to launch in September and may even come up against the rumoured iPad 2 Plus.
What does the Amazon Android tablet need to include to tempt you? Share your wishlist in the comments.
Out TBC | £TBC | Amazon (via The Wall Street Journal)
