The Kindle isn’t the only special plastic rectangle Amazon wants you to buy: the WSJ claims the book-and-deodorant-and-virtually-everything seller is readying its own tablet for October. It’ll be a 9-incher, forego a camera, and plug straight into Amazon’s media bank.
Interestingly, the Amazondroid (keeping my fingers crossed for that name) won’t supplant any of the Kindle’s shine – at least not according to Amazon’s plan. In fact, two new Kindles are on their way, according to the same Journal report. One will add a touchscreen, with the second going the econo-route for budget customers.
This news isn’t wholly surprising – but it’s certainly interesting. Amazon’s streaming and downloadable media offerings have been expanding at a decent clip, and a tablet that taps their library directly – perhaps with an all-you-can-eat Prime membership – would give us a reason to turn our heads away from iOS and iTunes. [WSJ]