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WSJ: Amazon is building an ad-supported tablet (update: two Kindle Fire devices coming next week)

If you can't quite scrounge up the $200 it takes to buy a quality 7-inch slab these days, Amazon may have a solution for you: sell them your attention. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company plans to develop an ad-supported tablet that would display advertisements whenever the screen is turned on. Sound familiar? Like Amazon's existing ad-supported Kindles, a subsided tablet would ring in at a lower price tag then its ad-free counterparts. WSJ's sources also mentioned that some versions of the device would be WiFi-only, potentially helping Amazon lower the price even further. No word yet, if you'll be able to buy your way out of the ads later, of course.

Update: Care for a thicker plot? CNET is now reporting that Amazon will reveal two new Kindle Fire tablets next week -- a 7-incher and a slightly reworked version of the original. While a brand new slab could be an obvious contender for the 7-inch tablet crown, a refreshed version of Amazon's original hardware could very well fit the ad-supported bill. Check out CNET's full report at the source link below.