Amazon Kindle tablet due in November for $250, report claims

By on Sep 2, 2011 at 6:10 PM
Tablets September 2, 2011

Amazon’s first Android tablet will launch this coming November at a price point significantly below Apple’s entry-level iPad 2, TechCrunch reported on Friday. According to the site, which claims to have handled a prototype of the device, the Amazon tablet bears a strong resemblance to RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook and it runs a highly customized pre-Honeycomb version of Google’s Android operating system. It also features deep integration with various Amazon services such as the Amazon Appstore and Amazon’s Cloud Player service. All of this has already been reported, however. Read on for more.

In terms of new details, the biggest pieces of the puzzle the report adds are the name of the device — simply “Amazon Kindle” — and the price: $250. In other words, it looks like Amazon will adopt a strategy similar to Barnes & Noble’s, offering a low-end black and white eReader alongside a more sophisticated tablet device, but its tablet will seemingly be much more capable than the current Nook Color model. Amazon will also significantly undercut Apple’s iPad tablet, which starts at $499.

TechCrunch reports that Amazon intends to offer its Amazon Prime service, typically $79 per year, for free with each purchase of the Kindle tablet. Amazon Prime affords subscribers free second-day delivery on many Amazon-sourced orders, as well as unlimited on-demand video streaming from a limited library of older titles.

BGR exclusively reported in May that Amazon was working on a pair of Android tablets, a 7-inch entry-level “Coyote” slate and a larger 10-inch “Hollywood” tablet that is reportedly slated for release next year. According to TechCrunch, the 10-inch tablet is still in the works but it will only be release if Amazon finds success with its initial offering.

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  • http://twitter.com/twistdiff Levy Harrison

    The thing is, can we root it and maintain our content/deal with Amazon? Or will it be locked down like Fort Knox?

  • Cer

    “and cabale tablet”!

    “only be release if”!

    • Bullet Tooth Tony

      I’m glad I’m not the only one that reads the articles and catches these things…

  • Anonymous

    Get your ~$270 Samsung Tab WiFi on Amazon right now: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-GT-P1010CWAXAR-Galaxy-Tab-Wi-Fi/dp/B004U9USEA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315004282&sr=8-1

    Then install Kindle and call it done.

  • Keith

    Did you edit this at all?

  • Anonymous

    How is this “much more capable than the current Nook Color model”. It might be a little faster processor but it seems to be lacking any other useful features like cameras, GPS, 3G/4G, honeycomb, etc.
    This looks like the Kindle Color and not much else. Slap on Amazon Prime and you will get some Amazon junkies but this is hardly going to move the tablet needle (except to kill off OEM low end 7″ tablets e.g. Lenovo, Viewsonic, etc.)

  • Anonymous

    The day that Android died.

    • Anonymous

      Silly rabbit, Android has died many many times already and it continues to domianate and increase market share.  Want to know why? Because it’s open and if the first one doesn’t succeed, then they try again. It’s not a closed system. Death for Android?  You’re dreaming….. I remember reading a post exactly like yours a few years back when MS released Windows ME. Of course, we all know it was junk, but the post said the same thing as yours, “The day that Microsoft died”. Well, we can see how that turned out can’t we!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Z3SGWN2UTRUD3QK4GNA77LSAAE DeanW

    The Nook Color is easily routable to a fully-functioning Android tablet…..now.

  • http://twitter.com/Firestarter_99 Peterjon Smith

    hey amazon please dont do a 7in i want a 10in

    • Anonymous

      They won’t build what they can’t sell for less than an iPad. 

      This is basically an amazon point of sale (PoS) device for amazon prime.

      too small to do most apps, too big to toss into a coat pocket.   

      It will sell, because of the amazon/Kindle ecosystem.  It will be an android, so the counts will go up, but only about 1% will know it’s android.

    • Biggles

      I was all in but thought it was gonna be 10″. Not interested in 7″ tablet. Oh well.

    • Opportunity

      Agreed. If they can do a half way decent tablet at this sort of price point I’d get one. I think there is a HUGE latent market for somebody to take the middle ground. At the high end the iPad is lovely so I can’t really see even nice Android tablets winning that battle.  At the low end the no name plastic tabs are just a bit risky. Amazon could just take that middle ground. If the price for that is being slightly tied to some Amazon services I don’t mind at all.

  • Ulysses Grant

    $250 is an okay price but needs to get cheaper. If HP can get rid of its WebOS for $99, I think it is possible to price tablet at around $149 to $199 range. At least, no one will sell their body organs just to buy a tablet unit and everyone is happy.

    • Anonymous

      I think the HP firesale was a pretty good economics experiment.  HP dumped the tablets, then the market price was sorted out on eBay.  Based on the eBay results, it looks like the right price for a tablet is around $250.

  • http://silicoxvalley.com person287

    Even though it runs Android, if I’m honest I don’t think it stands to beat, or even come close to the iPad. The iPad just has something no other tablet has. The lower price point might appeal to some people, but to be honest it’s still not cheap. I’d have to see it properly though, and in a few months time I might have to completely eat my words!

  • Anonymous

    Nook Color Android-based tablet/eReader from Barnes & Noble has been on the market for over a year and sold millions of units at $250. Gives Flash, apps, videos, color magazines and ebooks with video inserts, and the best anti-glare coated screen on the market. Technology “giant” Amazon is finally catching up with the book store company by copying their device.

  • http://twitter.com/MrAdamWatkins Adam Watkins

    I remember the days waaaay back when, when I thought I was a badass for having an iPad. Like 3 months ago.

  • Andrew

    I am highly disappointed.

    I was looking for a solid alternative to the iPad for cost reasons (also the App Store is unfriendly to people outside the US–a big drawback for that option).

    All that is left now would be Samsung’s offerings.

  • Anonymous

    Excuse me, but did you just say, “and it runs a highly customized pre-Honeycomb version of Google’s Android operating system?”  -   Fail…

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