Amazon Announces September 6 Press Conference; Mum on Details

Amazon has sent invitations to the media for a Sept. 6 press conference in Santa Monica, Calif.

The invitation offers absolutely zero hints. The full text states: “Please join us for an Amazon Press Conference.”

The timing is just days before Apple is expected to host its event, where it historically has announced a new iPhone.

Amazon’s event will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The venue appears to be an old building at the Santa Monica Airport, just outside of Los Angeles, that commonly hosts private events and film shoots.

It’s big, just like this announcement will likely be.

At the event it hosted nearly a year ago, Amazon unleashed a whole Kindle lineup, including the Kindle Fire, which was exactly what everyone thought it would be: A seven-inch Android tablet focused heavily on media consumption, priced way below Apple’s iPad.

Now, there are all sorts of assumptions and rumors for what the next device will be. Mostly, people think it will be a device with a larger screen.

Sources tell ATD’s John Paczkowski that the device is coming in the second half of the year (likely before the holidays), and that the new tablet will be lighter and thinner than the original. It will also have a built-in camera and a much-improved display.

Because the event is being held in L.A., I’m thinking that we’ll continue to see a heavy emphasis on content, including video, music and other forms of entertainment, like games.

We will also likely see improvements on some of the company’s original Kindle devices that have the black-and-white E-Ink screens, including ones with backlit displays. But don’t get your hopes up for an iPhone-killer — it’s probably too soon for that.

Via: ATD