Amazon Tablets Using TI Chips Not NVIDIA; Due Aug/Sept Tip Sources

More Amazon tablet rumors this morning, though a change of processor from what we've heard so far. The retailer is planning to launch tablets as soon as August or September 2011, according to DigiTimes' sources at component manufacturers, though they're tipping Texas Instruments' OMAP chips being at the heart of the slates, rather than NVIDIA processors as has previously been suggested.

The exact SoCs aren't specified, but are certainly different to the NVIDIA Tegra processors we've heard about before. Back in May, leaks pointed to two tablets, the 7-inch "Coyote" and 10-inch "Hollywood," which would be based on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 and upcoming Kal-El quad-core.

TI's silicon will apparently be paired with Wintek touch panels and ILI Technology LCD driver ICs, with Quanta Computer putting them all together. Monthly shipments in the region of 700,000 to 800,000 units are expected, with Amazon apparently targeting the Thanksgiving shopping season in the US and year-end holidays elsewhere.

Texas Instruments' OMAP4440 1.5GHz dual-core is expected to show up in commercial products in the second half of this year, and its 1080p Full HD abilities (and 3D support) would seemingly make it a natural fit for Hollywood's Prime streaming movie services we're told to expect. If the rumors are true, it's not the first time we'd have seen TI swoop in and replace a rival inside a tablet: RIM dumped Marvell processors in favor of TI for the BlackBerry PlayBook.