Is Amazon preparing to release an Android-based tablet? "Stay tuned," says CEO Jeff Bezos.

In a conversation with Consumer Reports, Bezos suggested that Amazon's rumored tablet could be a reality.

There have been rumors about an Android-based Amazon tablet to challenge the high-flying iPad, but thus far no announcements have been made. Whatever Amazon might release, however, it won't supplant the Kindle. The popular e-reader has clearly been an important product for Amazon, and one analyst predicted that revenue generated from the device will top $5 billion in 2011. While Amazon has long been coy about the number of Kindles it has sold, the company said in December that the Wi-Fi version is its best-selling product ever.

"We will always be very mindful that we will want a dedicated reading device," Bezos said. "In terms of any other product introductions, I shouldn't answer."

It's unclear when Amazon would unveil a tablet, but clues about the device have continued to pop up. Amazon recently introduced an ad-subsidized version of the device for $25 less. Could Amazon be testing an ad-based platform in preparation for a tablet with an affordable price tag, perhaps $250 or less?

Amazon has also placed an increased emphasis on Android recently. Earlier this year, it opened its own Android Appstore. The company also unveiled a cloud-based music service that lets users store their music for free online and play it via Macs, PCs, and Android-based tablets and phones (but not iOS devices).