According to DigiTimes unnamed tablet components suppliers say Amazon put orders for up to 2m touch panel displays-- suggesting Amazon will be shipping up to 1.2m tablets by September's end.
Such a shipment would make it Q3 2011's biggest non-iPad tablet supplier.
No confirmation comes from Amazon itself, which currently appears to be focusing on selling its Kindle eReaders.
Rumours suggest Amazon will have 2 tablet models-- code-named Coyote and Hollywood-- both carrying Nvidia processors (specifically the dual-core Tegra 2 for Coyote and the quad-core Kal-El for Hollywood).
Meanwhile other analysts suggest Amazon will be updating the Kindle with an LCD display and replacing its software with Google's Android.
Should such rumours prove true, Amazon will be entering a crowded arena-- even if Amazon does have one ace up its sleeve, to other vendors' detriment. That ace is, of course, its main business in online shopping, where it currently sells other manufacturers' devices.
Will Amazon drop other tablets from its website should "Coyote" and "Hollywood" prove to be true? Amazon.com doesn't carry any Kindle rivals, after all. Some manufacturers will have reason to feel a little betrayed in that case.