The Nook Color is currently the best Android powered e-reader, but things could get a lot more interesting come January. Apparently, Barnes & Nobile is already testing out Android 2.2 which will deliver quite a few new features. The Android 2.2 update (currently on track for a January release) will bring improvements to battery life, enable pinch-to-zoom functionality in the browser, and will give users a more complete tablet experience by enabling a typical Android home screen and launcher.
While the features mentioned above may sound appealing, one of the most awaited features that will be included in the Froyo update is the new market application which is currently being cooked up. If you were hoping for the official Android Market, you’re out of luck. Barnes and Nobile will be serving up their own proprietary app market so that they can have full control over what the user experience will be on their Android e-reader. While that may seem like bad news, it does look like users may be able to side-load apps on the Nook Color via the SD card.
The Nook Color may still be a few steps behind a true Android tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but at $249 and with the upcoming Froyo release we’re sure quite a few people will find the compromises to be justifiable.
