Amazon has now become the latest major tech manufacturer to plan a special event this September that could see the online retail giant unveil the successor to its Kindle Fire tablet.

According to BGR, Amazon has started sending out invites for an event on September 6 in Santa Monica, California. These notifications didn’t give any indication as to the types of products, if any, that would be unveiled at the event, but given the long-standing buzz about the Kindle Fire 2, it shouldn’t be too difficult to imagine that this new tablet will be announced on that day.

We haven’t gotten any real confirmation on the specifications of the rumored Kindle Fire 2, but Reuters has reported that Amazon will release five or six new models this year. Rumors suggest that there could be two sizes of the tablet – an updated 7-inch slate and an all-new 10-inch model – while the remaining models could be refreshed versions of the company’s traditional e-ink based e-book readers.

Supposedly, the different models of the Kindle Fire 2 will have different layouts, with the higher-end variants equipped with a rear-facing camera.

The original Kindle Fire was the undisputed king of the 7-inch budget tablet segment from its release late last year, but this position has since been challenged by Google’s Nexus 7.

If the successor to this tablet comes with substantially improved specifications and launches at the same $200 price point (or simply hits Amazon with significantly lower price tag), then this device stands a good chance of keeping its dominance in its chosen market segment.