Consumer Reports has an interview with Jeff Bezos in which he hints at the possibility of an Amazon Android tablet, coyly advising interested parties to “stay tuned.” He did insist that just because the iPad and other tablets are becoming popular solutions for e-reading, it doesn’t mean that the Kindle and other dedicated devices are on the way out.

“We will always be very mindful that we will want a dedicated reading device,” he said. “In terms of any other product introductions, I shouldn’t answer.”

Bezos noted that whatever Amazon did, it was always mindful not to let anything get in the way of the reading experience, including the advertisements on the new ad-supported Kindles. He also suggested that the new tablet will not be color e-ink, which “is not ready for prime time,” making it likely to be some sort of LCD like the Nook Color.

On CNet, David Carnoy points out that E Ink, the company that makes the Kindle’s and other readers’ e-ink displays, also makes the advanced LCD screens used by the Nook Color and Samsung Galaxy Tab. This suggests that the Android tablet will use a similar screen. Carnoy also doubts the tablet will carry the Kindle brand, the way the Nook Color carries the Nook’s, because Android has already put too much effort into building a single-purpose e-ink brand identity for the Kindle.

But whatever it’s called, it will certainly feature the Android Kindle Reader as a mainstay of its applications, and also offer purchases through the Amazon Android app store. Whether it can successfully steal a march on the Nook Color is less clear.

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