Suppliers Say Amazon Tablet Is On The Horizon
Amazon might unveil a new tablet computer later this year, reports suggest. The largest online retailer, who released the Kindle to the world in 2007, could up the ante with their own tablet to better compete with Apple’s iPad.
Rumors of an Amazon tablet have been swirling around the web for a long time. But now, suppliers of tablet components appear to be confirming Amazon’s plans.
A recent article from Appleinsider says we could see a tablet release in late summer/early fall:
Taiwanese component makers said Wednesday that Amazon is set to release tablets in August or September on its way to a sales target of 4 million units in 2011.
The launch is timed to gain momentum ahead of the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays in the U.S. and Europe, a source told DigiTimes. Monthly shipments are expected to reach 700,000-800,000 units.
As expected, Amazon is remaining tight-lipped about any tablet release:
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos declined to confirm during a recent interview that his company was working on such a device, but did say to “stay tuned” on the company’s plans. Bezos did say that any tablet Amazon built would supplement the Kindle e-reader. “We will always be very mindful that we will want a dedicated reading device,” he said.
The article also explains that an Amazon tablet would directly compete with the iPad. And because Amazon has kept Kindle prices low (lowering them annually, it seems), the Kindle and iPad are not direct competitors – not to mention that the Kindle is dedicated only to reading.
Only one question remains: When Amazon does release their tablet, will they still aggressively market their popular eReader? Jeff Bezos says they will. But when Barnes & Noble released their Nook Color tablet, they seem to have left the other dedicated reading Nooks in the dust.
I think pricing will play a determining factor in how well an Amazon tablet sells (aside from quality & functionality). My guess is they will undercut the iPad price significantly. Other tablet computers to hit the market have been priced quite closely to the iPad, and none have really taken off as far as sales are concerned.
If there’s one thing Amazon is good at, it’s keeping prices lower than their competition.
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Read More: Amazon Kindle, eReaders, Tablet Computers
