Not So Crazy Rumor: Amazon To Release An Android Tablet And Two New Kindles This Fall

The fabled Amazon tablet: Oh how you tease us so. You come from the maker of the world’s most beloved ereader and are said to run the versatile Android OS. (hopefully skinned, though) But there’s just so much we don’t know about you. When are you coming? How much are you going to cost. What’s your name? Are you even real?

The Wall Street Journal thinks it’s real. In fact they just named October as the release month and state new Kindle models are coming soon, too. Details are understandably on the light side, but there are some interesting specs concerning the tablet: 9-inch screen, no camera, and running an unnamed Android release. Doesn’t sound like an iPad killer to me.

Chances are it won’t be positioned as an iPad killer but more as a Nook Color competitor with a major focus on the Amazon marketplace. Amazon has made a big push over the last year to bolster and better position its streaming video content. A tablet would be a great outlet for that service.

The same WSJ report states that Amazon is prepping two new Kindle models. This is less of a surprise giving that the current Kindle is nearing its first birthday. Reportedly, two Kindle versions are on tap: a low-cost retooling of the current version and then a high-cost touchscreen model. (sigh)

Still, you may want to keep your current Kindle 3G away from ebay for the time being. As likely as this report is, it’s still a rumor until Bezos does his best Steve Jobs impression and unveils the Amazon tablet to the world.