So, Amazon’s Building An Android Tablet…

By  |  Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 2:47 pm

Amazon is said to be in the process of developing its own Android tablet, according to gdgt’s Peter Rojas. Calling it an “open secret,” Rojas believes that the device may not be yet another garden-variety Android tablet, but rather akin to what Barnes & Noble did with the new Nook. There, Android was used as the core of a customized experience.

Like B&N, Amazon has a vested interest in seeing you buy things from them: thus the device itself would probably not be as expensive as most Android tablets. However the retailer sells music and movies as well as e-books: this means the company potentially would have multiple revenue streams to lean on for its “tablet.” And that new Android App Store? And all those Android developer hires? Is it making sense now?

Rojas doesn’t have too much in the way of specifics, guessing that the device would launch in late summer, and urged the company to consider pricing the device under $250.

Sounds like a smart idea to me. I do believe that e-readers as a separate device are set to become increasingly irrelevant with the rise of tablets. Why shouldn’t Amazon have a stake in the sector, especially with what its been doing so far and the value of the Kindle name? Instead of being yet another tablet, this one would have a fighting chance to do well.

 
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6 Comments For This Post

  1. Tom B Says:
    April 21st, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    I guess they've finally figured out that a single-purpose device, like the Kindle is pretty worthless.

    I think everybody's building a tablet by now except MSFT, who release "concept cars' (the Courier) every so often, but don't follow through.

  2. jackconroy7 Says:
    April 22nd, 2011 at 9:15 am

    With regard to technology, single purpose devices are almost always preferable to multifuncion devices. Multi-purpose tools for example are rubbish. Another example of muti-purpose crap is the stereo player with tape, cd and radio in the one unit. Anyone interested in quality purchases individual items of equipment that are excellent at what they do. With multi-purpose there is also the problem of putting all your eggs in one basket.

  3. Mike Cerm Says:
    April 22nd, 2011 at 12:18 am

    When Amazon launched their own app store, and their cloud music player, it should have been evident to anyone paying attention that Amazon was working on a tablet. I'm sure Peter's intel is good. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether Amazon will extend the Kindle branding to this device (like B&N did with the Nook Color), or if they'll introduce this as a separate product entirely.

  4. Mike Cerm Says:
    April 22nd, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    If I had to guess, I'd say they're probably going to go with a highly-customized experience, like B&N did with the Nook Color. Google isn't handing out the source code to Honeycomb, so it will have to be based on Gingerbread, and since Google doesn't approve of Gingerbread being used on tablets, there will be no Google apps.

  5. merudh patel Says:
    December 22nd, 2011 at 2:57 am

    If this will happen, then I will definitely be first in line to buy this amazing tech. Android probably is the best OS out there and with this one, I believe that it would even be better.

  6. aquaponics4u Says:
    January 11th, 2012 at 5:29 am

    This is my first time to hear this. If this will happen, I gonna try to use it. Thanks for the info.
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