Updated: A big-screen Kindle may be coming to the market sooner than anybody expected. The New York Times reports that a larger version of Amazon.com’s e-reader could be introduced as soon as this week, optimized for newspapers, magazines and possibly textbooks. And the paper should know: the story says it is expected to be one of the news organizations involved in the device’s debut.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Plans Big-Screen Kindle

Constant speculation that a bigger screen, color Kindle was in the works spiked last month with a Wall Street Journal report that the debut was expected sometime before the 2009 holiday season.

By officially acknowledging plans for its big screen Kindle this week, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) will likely steal attention from its rivals’ fledgling efforts. Hearst, Plastic Logic, and News Corp (NYSE: NWS) are also developing large screen e-readers—all going after the market for newspaper and magazine publishers looking for new ways to distribute their content. Only Plastic Logic, though, has demonstrated a prototype of its device, which is expected to be on the market in early 2010.

Update: Amazon sent invites out to press Monday morning for a press conference at Pace University in NYC Wednesday morning. We’ll be there.