Skip to main content

Amazon tablet coming late this year?

e ink displayWe recently heard that Amazon is getting into the tablet business, with an Android device that will push its digital content. Now, a report from DigiTimes suggests the tablet could be here later this year. Component makers are claiming that Quanta has received OEM orders from Amazon, and makes the bold assertion that monthly orders during peak season will reach 700,000 to 800,000 orders.

Amazon is also reportedly working with E Ink Holdings for its tablet’s touch panel and display. E Ink Holdings worked with Barnes & Noble on the Nook and with Amazon on its Kindle, which use the company’s monochrome active matrix display. This technology allows for clear text with far more contrast than many e-readers. And Quanta has a foot in the tablet door as well, manufacturing the BlackBerry PlayBook. The company is rumored to be partnering with Sony on its very unusual tablets that should launch this year. DigiTimes says Quanta will begin shipping parts in the second half of 2011.

Recommended Videos

The report also claims that while Kindle is selling well stateside, it isn’t as popular internationally. When the tablet is introduced, however, Amazon will cut the Kindle’s price, which would find it some new customers.

It sounds like Amazon is going in the right direction, partnering with an established tablet manufacturer and returning to the display technology that won the Kindle so many devoted users. So why exactly is Amazon poised to take a piece of the tablet market for itself? The Nook has been making strides in this department for some time: The device itself is an Android tablet with a custom UI layer. Upgrades have given it a Nook app store and Flash support, so it’s about spitting distance from a fully-featured tablet. The difference is that Amazon has the digital content and storage to back up such a device. It’s also launched its own app store and now has its own digital locker and music service (albeit one that has some legal issues to work out). But the forecast for such Amazon’s tablet is overwhelmingly positive, so much that some are even saying it could be a viable iPad 2 competitor.

Molly McHugh
Former Social Media/Web Editor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Honor Magic V5 is a seriously impressive foldable phone, so it’s gutting it’s not available in the US
We've been hands-on with the world's thinnest foldable phone
The internal screen of the Magic V5, standing on the edge of a foosball table

The Honor Magic V5 is the world’s thinnest foldable phone, and while the thickness of your phone may not be a driving force behind your purchasing decision my brief time so far with this handset has shown there’s more going on here than a simple spec benchmark.

If I were Samsung, I’d be looking a little nervously over my shoulder as I prepare for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 launch on July 9.

Read more
The world’s thinnest foldable phone is actually thicker than its predecessor
The Honor Magic V5 is super slim, but it also bulks out in one key area
The Magic V5 and Magic V3 foldable phones being held in one hand

I’ve been hands-on with the Honor Magic V5, officially the world’s thinnest foldable phone - a title the Chinese manufacturer expects the phone to retain throughout 2025.

But while it is the thinnest foldable around, it’s also oddly thicker in one key way than its predecessor the Magic V3 (a former world’s thinnest foldable itself) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold I had in my pocket.

Read more
Apple Watch Series 11: everything you need to know
The Apple Watch Series 10, with a leather band, on someone's wrist.

Apple’s next smartwatch is merely a few months away, and ahead of its expected Fall debut, we have come across rather interesting bits of information. For starters, it may not serve any design surprises. On the other hand, some next-gen health innovations could be on the horizon. 

Let’s start with the name. Well, don’t expect any fireworks here. The upcoming smartwatch will most likely hit the shelves carrying the Apple Watch Series 11 label. How much will it cost? Barring any major hardware-level changes or Apple seriously feeling the pinch of tariffs, we are looking at a familiar starting price of $399 per timepiece. 

Read more