14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Amazon is having quite a bit of success with its 7-inch device and, according to reports, it wants to double its chances by creating a larger tablet.
In 2012, during the second quarter (April-June), Amazon will launch a new tablet.
At least, this is what a new rumor from Digitimes says will happen.
Granted, users are advised to take the report with reservations, since Digitimes, as a news and rumor site, sometimes is right and sometimes isn't (rumors are rumors), as ASUS rather bluntly put it.
Still, it bears mentioning that it makes sense for the company to want to expand its new tablet line to more than one device.
The report originates with supply chain makers for Amazon, and Foxconn is going to be the second maker of 7-inch Kindle Fire as well (Quanta is the first).
Amazon is said to be considering both 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch tablet models for future release, but decided on the former for spring, 2012.
This is because it allegedly wants to avoid competition with the existing multitude of such mobile devices.
Production of 8.9-inch Fires will start in the second quarter of next year, which would imply that commercial availability is slated for either late April-June or early third quarter.
Knowing how cheap the current Kindle Fire is, and with the company probably intent on strapping a very competitive price on the larger ones as well, it may seem odd that competition is what Amazon is worried about.
There could be another reason though: the desire to avoid the possibility of any new lawsuits springing up.
Patent trolls are already after the Fire, so Amazon may be concerned that making a 9.7-10.1-inch electronic would open it up to filings from bigger names.
Apple relentlessly went after Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 after all, and there is no question that Amazon, like anyone else, wants to avoid more legal confrontations.