Amazon is set to release two new Kindle black-and-white e-ink models in addition to an aggressively-priced 7-inch tablet with a color LCD screen on Wednesday, with the company considering expanding to larger 10.1-inch and 8.9-inch tablets next year to compete with Apple's iPad.
Amazon's new Android-based tablet, apparently named the Kindle Fire, is said to be based on the same basic design as RIM's PlayBook, built by the same maker, apart from having a slower processor intended to make it cheaper.
Amazon on Friday sent out invitations to members of the press for a media event scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 28, where the retailer is expected to debut a new touchscreen tablet that aims to compete with Apple's iPad.
The likelihood of success for both the impending Amazon tablet and Google's forthcoming Android update, dubbed "Ice Cream Sandwich," against the iPad has reportedly been called into question by industry insiders.
Apple reportedly has prototypes for its third-generation iPad already circling in its supply chain, but no new model is expected to arrive this year as a true second-place tablet has yet to emerge.
Investment bank J.P. Morgan raised its estimates for tablet shipments in 2011 to 51.9 million units, citing the strength of Apple's iPad, while slightly lowering 2012 estimates because a "formidable number two tablet maker" has yet to arrive.
Apple's upcoming iCloud service is rumored to rely on both Microsoft's Azure and Amazon's AWS for hosting, as the company has played to its strength of building a consumer-facing experience rather than becoming a cloud provider.
Amazon's next Kindle will abandon the efficient, easy to read eInk display of existing models and morph into a $250, 7 inch color touchscreen model based on Android, but incapable of accessing Google's app market or benefiting from future Android releases.
A partial victory by defendant MP3tunes in a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by major record companies may set a precedent for the legal validity of cloud-based digital music "lockers" from other companies, including Apple, Google and Amazon.
After changes to Apple's App Store policies prompted Amazon to remove a link from its Kindle application to buy new books, the online retailer has launched a new browser-based "Cloud Reader."
Reports from the Asian supply chain regarding upcoming tablets from online retailer Amazon have continued to emerge, with industry sources claiming the company is tapping Taiwanese vendors for a launch in the third quarter of this year.
Apple's newly enforced policy banning links to out-of-app purchases has forced The Wall Street Journal, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo to remove purchasing options from their iOS applications, while the Google Books application has been completely removed.
Amazon.com plans to introduce its own brand of tablet computer ahead of the holiday shopping season, a move which is sure to intensify competition with new-found rival Apple.
A federal judge has rejected Apple's request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked Amazon from using the "App Store" name.
Amazon announced Wednesday a promotion offering unlimited music storage to users who purchase a Cloud Drive storage plan, heating up competition before Apple's fall launch of its iCloud and iTunes Match services.
Amazon could have a difficult time securing manufacturing commitments for its rumored LCD tablet, as Apple's iPad 2 is predicted to occupy most of the available tablet production capacity in the later half of the year, according to a new report.
A U.S. District Judge said on Wednesday that she will "probably" deny Apple's trademark infringement request to block Amazon's Appstore for Android because the iPhone maker has yet to produce "real evidence" that customers have confused it with the App Store.
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.
In a new filing in its ongoing legal battle to protect the "App Store" trademark, Apple said it is worried that users will confuse the iOS App Store with Amazon's "inferior" product, which it described as a potential security concern for mobile devices.
Apple this week revised its rules for in-app subscriptions, and no longer requires that subscriptions purchased outside of an iOS application have the same price or less.
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Josh Ong
Daniel Eran Dilger
Sam Oliver
Neil Hughes
Katie Marsal
Slash Lane
