Amazon is reportedly making a move that could help its Kindle Fire tablet compete better with the iPad. AllThingsD is reporting that the company is planning to roll out two new versions of the device - one of which will be slightly larger.
Citing a report from Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley, AllThingsD said Amazon will launch a new, 7-inch version of the Kindle Fire, as well as a 9-inch model.
Accordingly, Bartley has upped his estimate for Kindle Fire sales this year.
"We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million," he said. "But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7- and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012."
Amazon has tasted success with the Kindle Fire. While it might not be the iPad-killer some predicted it would be, it has handily secured the number two spot in the tablet market. Recently an analyst estimated that Amazon sold 6 million Kindle Fires in the fourth quarter, but in Amazon's earnings call last week, the company did not offer specifics beyond calling the tablet its "number-one, best-selling, most gifted, and most wished-for product" since its launch.
But in order to keep riding that momentum, Amazon will have to update. There have been rumblings of a larger Kindle Fire tablet since just after Amazon originally announced the device. Additionally, this week, there have been clues that point to a March launch for Apple's third version of the iPad.
For more, see PCMag's review of the Kindle Fire and the slideshow below.