Amazon preparing 'up to six' new Kindle Fire tablet

LONDON - Amazon will introduce up to six new tablets to succeed the Kindle Fire, as it intensifies its challenge to Apple, according to a major American retailer.

The head of US retail for Staples, Mr Demos Parneros, said he expected "five or six" new models to reach stores, including at least one with a 10-inch screen to match the iPad.

The first Kindle Fire, still only available in America, has a 7-inch screen. It made its debut last autumn but has itself recently been challenged at the lower end of the tablet market by Google's Nexus 7, and has seen intiial enthusiasm fade amid complaints of poor build quality and clunky software.

It was unclear whether Mr Parneros referred only to several variations of new tablets, or a combination of tablets and Kindle e-readers, but his claims back those of industry observers who expect Amazon to introduce new models in time for the run in to Christmas.

Amazon is making its own hardware to sell more digital goods, such as MP3s, movies, TV shows, apps and games. Physical versions of these products, such as CDs and DVDs, remain a big business for Amazon, but it is in decline, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Having its own devices sitting atop a software platform that offers digital content to more than 100 million, credit-card-wielding customers already programmed to buy, could help Amazon become a major mobile platform player, challenging Apple. The firm is also expected to introduce its own smartphone this year, based on Google's Android mobile operating system, in common with the Kindle Fire.

Amazon has not commented on what effect the kindle Fire has had on its sales of digital content beyond saying that it was "very pleased with what's happening".

The signs from Lab126, the firm's devices division, are also that a big expansion is underway, with both tablets and smartphones in the works.

Lab126 had just over 500 employees listed on LinkedIn in September, when Amazon launched the Kindle Fire. That has since grown to 865.

"They are there to develop other devices," said Robert Brunner, a former Amazon engineer who helped develop the first Kindle e-readers. "Knowing what I know about Jeff Bezos and Amazon, it's likely they are doing a smart phone."

Seven job postings by Lab126 in recent months sought hardware and software engineers who have experience with mobile phone projects. Amazon also hired two Windows Phone managers from Microsoft in recent months, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

"I can't really say much about some of the things on which I am working," said one of the men, Brandon Watson. "I can say that the goals of some of the teams are huge. Huge." AGENCIES

Source: www.todayonline.com