Amazon's response to the release of the Google Nexus 7 tablet could come within a month, as a report from the China Times says the manufacturer Quanta is already working on a first batch of Kindle Fire 2 devices.
Calling the move a "counterattack" against the Nexus 7 -- the Google/Asus device is widely seen as a direct competitor to Amazon's successful Kindle Fire -- the China Times says the Kindle Fire 2 will have a metal body and different battery than the first-generation tablet, which changes the supply chain.
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According to the newspaper, the new Kindle Fire 2 will go on sale by Aug. 7. Another report, this one from CNET, notes that Amazon may be planning an announcement for July 31, which would line up well with that release date. The publication also says that an NPD DisplaySearch analyst has predicted that as many as four new tablet models are in the works at Amazon, based on supply chain data.
According to CNET, August could bring two new 7-inch Kindle Fire 2's to the market -- one with a 1024x600 display and no camera, and another with a 1280x800 screen with a camera. The former device could be aimed at undercutting the Nexus 7 on price, while the latter might be an attempt to compete on features. Later in the year, a third 7-inch tablet could add 4G to the higher-end model, and a subsequent 8.9-inch device would pack on a 1920x1200 display.
Amazon has been making plenty of headlines in the mobile market lately. A recent report from Bloomberg said that the company is planning to deploy its own smartphone.
Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.
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