Barnes & Noble’s Nook ebook readers will get the ability to access email and browse the web.
Nook ebook readers have struggled to gain market share against Amazon’s Kindle. To combat that, Barnes & Noble slashed the price of its Nook Simple Touch from £79 to £29, and added Google Play access to its tablets.
Now, its Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight will receive an update that will allow them to be used to check email and browse the web, according to sources speaking to TechCrunch.
According to the report, the over-the-air update to version 1.5.0 will start to roll out on 1 June, and will also include bug fixes.
The first version of the software for the Nook Simple Touch featured a hidden web browser, that could be accessed by entering the desired URL into the reader’s search tool, but it was removed in a subsequent update.
Amazon Kindle ebook readers don’t have a built-in email client, but do feature an “experimental” browser, although reading email or accessing the web isn’t ideal on a black-and-white E Ink screen.
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