Amazon.com is expected to unveil a tablet computer next week, in what analysts expect to be a serious competitor to Apple's market dominating iPad.

Amazon on Friday invited media to a press conference to be held in New York next Wednesday. In the event, the world's largest Internet retailer is expected to introduce its tablet computer.

According to early reports, the Amazon tablet will be a 7 inch device with a full color, touch screen, run on Google's Android software and cost $250, well below the price of the least expensive iPad.