Apple’s buddy Foxconn to make a tablet for Amazon?

Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes quotes unnamed industry sources who claim Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer for gadgets, will produce a rumored Android-driven tablet from Amazon, said to sport a 10.1-inch display, with shipments to begin in 2012 at the earnest. Quanta Computer, another contract manufacturer from Asia, has already begun shipping a smaller seven-inch device to Amazon, the report notes:

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has reportedly landed orders for 10.1-inch tablet PCs from Amazon with shipments to begin in 2012, while Quanta Computer has begun shipping a 7-inch model to Amazon. Foxconn declined to comment on market speculation.

Foxconn of course is Apple’s long-time manufacturer so it comes as a surprise that Apple did not exercise its influence and billions to block rivals from tapping Foxconn’s manufacturing potentials. That’s not entirely unheard of, however…

Given that Foxconn already makes Kindles for the online retail giant, landing another contract was a no-brainer. Foxconn is “likely” to manufacture twelve million Kindle units for Amazon as well per year, comparing to 38-40 million iPads and 80-85 million iPhones per year. DigiTimes’ story somewhat contradicts a Wednesday Wall Street Journal report describing a nine-inch Amazon tablet competing with iPad this October.

Cross-posted on 9to5Google.com