Amazon's rumoured 9-inch Android tablet pencilled in for October launch

Whether sales of eReaders have been adversely affected by the tablet sector or not is still up for debate, but it appears Amazon isn't willing to take the risk.

A report on the Wall Street Journal suggests the online retail giant is preparing a dual assault on Apple's iPad business, launching both a 9-inch Android powered tablet and two new Kindle devices before the end of the year.

Two pronged attack

It's long been rumoured Amazon has had a tablet under wraps, with recent speculation pointing towards a launch either at the end of its third financial quarter, or the start of the following quarter.

However, people 'familiar with the matter' have told the paper October is now the finalised launch month.

As an aside, Amazon will also roll out the updated Kindles one of which will come equipped with a touchscreen in Q3 2011, further cementing its eReader business.

The report comes just days after DigiTimes quoted an unnamed industry source who claimed up to 1.2 million Amazon tablets are being manufactured for the device's first quarter.

"Among orders from non-iPad vendors, those from Amazon are said to be the most positive, with demand for touch panels likely to reach two million units for the August-September period," the source concluded.

[source: Wall Street Journal]