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Rumor: Amazon forecasting 3 million tablets this fall

With a strong portfolio of content at the right price, the online retail behemoth may emerge as the first Android tablet success story.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
CNET

If the latest round of rumors prove to be true, Amazon could emerge as the dominant player in the Android tablet game. According to information provided to Taiwanese news outlet CENS, the company has ordered Quanta Computer Inc. to produce between 800,000 and 1 million tablets per month from August to October.

While the articles does not draw a distinction between 7-inch and 10-inch tablets, I am impressed by the figure. Motorola has offered its Honeycomb tablet, the Xoom, for better the part of a year now, but it should move only 1.5 million units in 2011. Samsung offers a range of Android tablets in its Galaxy Tab line, though we don't have any solid sales figures. While Sammy is quick to point out record-breaking numbers for its Android cell phones, the company has remained tight-lipped on the tablet front.

I suspect that Amazon will position its tablets as a competitor to the Nook than traditional Android tablets. And given that Amazon's portfolio includes Cloud Music, an app store, movies on demand, and other digital services, these tablets could offer consumers a great all-in-one package. Indeed, quality, low-price hardware paired with a trusted Amazon name may prove to be the key to an Android tablet success that we've yet to see.