Report: Amazon Not Ruling Out Smartphones

More Amazon ereaders, and possibly MP3 players and phones.

Amazon surprised a lot of people when it announced the Kindle. Amazon hardware? Really? Sure, an ereader made a lot of sense for the etailer, but it was definitely a step off the beaten track for Amazon. The Kindle was incredibly successful, and now it looks like Amazon is ready to create again.

The New York Times reports that Lab 126, the Amazon team behind the Kindle, is currently looking for a Supply Chain Project Manager, a Hardware Engineer and an RF Systems Engineer. Though some of the people hired will most likely be working on a new version of the Kindle, NYT says its possible they could play a part in developing other devices Amazon is prototyping in its labs.

Citing people familiar with the matter, NYT reports that Amazon thinks that building more hardware products would be a means to an end and wants to make produce devices that make it easier for people to purchase Amazon's digital books, music, movie rentals and other wares.

Aside from music players and electronics to make it easier to spend more money on Amazon, the company hasn't ruled out the possibility of a smartphone. Sources say they originally ruled it out because with Apple and Google to compete with, it seemed out of reach. However, they haven't ruled out smartphones completely.

NYT sources say there's nearly 80 openings in Amazon's hardware division but some are proving difficult to fill.

Get the full scoop on the New York Times.