Touch-screen Kindle also launching this year

There was talk about an Amazon tablet in May this year, with reports suggesting it would be a 10-inch Android device powered by a Nvidia quad-core Tegra processor. Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, those details have changed a little, although it still looks on course to take on the iPad at Christmas.

The WSJ claims the tablet will be launching in October, going head-to-head with Apple in the run-up to Christmas. At least, it will in the US. Amazon’s track record of launching in the UK suggests a delay for us, possibly into 2012. But we live in hope that both the tablet and app store launch sooner rather than later.

It looks like the tablet has shrunk in the last couple of months, with the latest rumour suggesting a nine-inch device, although it’s still very much an Android tablet, likely to be Honeycomb when it first launches. No camera on this first tablet, which is said to be an outsourced product via the Asian market. Apparently, there’s a follow up tablet on the way that will be an Amazon design, but not until 2012. Could that be the 10-inch device? Possibly.

How much will the first tablet retail for? That’s not clear. Although there are rumours that Amazon could take on Apple over price, especially with a less refined device. After all, if the Amazon store is at the heart of it, the company can get the money back with sales of movies, music, books and so on.

Interestingly, it’s not the only new product heading our way, according to the WSJ. The newspaper also claims that Amazon will introduce two updated versions of its black and white Kindle before the year is out. One of the new Kindles is a touch-screen, which seems like an obvious step forward. Like the tablet, expect details in a couple of months, then keep your fingers crossed for UK launches.