Report: Customers Showing Interest In Amazon Tablet

Of the 1,000 survey respondents, 55 percent would seriously consider a tablet manufactured by Amazon. Retrevo thinks Amazon's business model affords it a unique pricing opportunity.

"Apple has traditionally been able to command a price premium for quality devices but if someone like Amazon who thrives on low margins can move the playing field, Apple may find it harder to command high prices," Retrevo said in the report.

"Despite the fact that Apple makes a lot of money on companion products like apps, music, and software, Amazon may be in a better position to sacrifice a high profit margin on a tablet or “razor” in return for revenue from “razor blades” like books, music, videos and apps."

Amazon plans to release a tablet in October, The Wall Street Journal reported in July. While more consumers want a tablet manufactured by Amazon than any other non-Apple tablet manufacturer, the Retrevo report said price drives consumer's tablet decisions.

Many tablet competitors share similar price points. Hewlett Packard and Samsung offer tablets at the exact same price -- $499.99 -- as the base model iPad. While some manufacturers have released cheaper alternatives, consumers want much lower prices, according to Retrevo. Of those interested in buying a tablet this year, 78 percent would consider a non-iPad tablet with similar features if it cost less than $250.

However, cutting prices in half while maintaining a similar feature set is unlikely to be profitable in the short term. Both the HP TouchPad and iPad cost over $300 to build, according to IHS iSuppli.

By building a tablet to compete with the iPad, Amazon will further position itself as a rival of Apple. In July, Apple failed to secure an injunction against Amazon for the use of the term "app store." A U.S. District Court Judge in California ruled that the term was descriptive, and denied the injunction request, freeing Amazon to continue using the term for its online app marketplace.