Amazon-Android rumor: A family of devices
From tablets to TV, if you believe the leak
Posted in Media, 17th May 2011 03:00 GMT
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Amazon has long been readying Android tablets, but rumours have emerged that the e-book giant is readying an “entire family” of Android devices for America’s upcoming holiday shopping season.
Rather than a single tablet, the Android and Me blog is speculating that there will be devices in several form factors – including a smartphone – and possibly a Google TV set-top-box.
The rumours come on the back of Amazon’s hiring spree at Lab126, combined with a Digitimes report that Quanta and Samsung will be the company’s hardware partners.
Jeff Bezos is already on the record as being keen on low-power colour displays, to try and address battery life, one of the greatest challenges of the small-form-factor market.
A device launch would also lend weight to Amazon’s application store, which started offering a free honeymoon offer for developers in January and launched in March. With its own devices wrapped into an application store, the Amazon cloud storage services, and experience with cutting deals with carriers, the company would find itself well-positioned to make a splash in the Android market.
While Amazon’s tight control over apps has been criticized on the basis of onerous developer terms and conditions, recent Android security scares might make a more controlled environment attractive.
The Android and Me story is here. ®
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