Amazon to release "five or six" new tablets this year says Staples executive

Amazon Kindle Fire

Amazon plans to release a number of tablets this year to follow its Kindle Fire tablet, if you believe what the president of Staples' retail has to say. The executive has been quoted by Reuters as saying that Amazon will release "five or six" new tablets in the near future, including a new 10-inch model.

Amazon burst onto the tablet scene last fall with its 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet that runs a heavily customized version of Android. The Kindle Fire has generally been regarded as a success for Amazon, though the company has not released any specific sales figures for the device.

A new 10-inch tablet would let Amazon compete with Apple and its ubiquitous iPad tablet. The Staples executive did not elaborate on the five or six new tablets that he expects Amazon to release, though, they could be similar models with varying storage capacities.