DigiTimes Systems has
reported that Barnes & Noble is preparing to launch a Nook Color 2 in September 2011. (TeleRead picked this story up from e-reader-info, which quoted this article.)
The news release is actually a bit confusing to me, because it mentions E Ink as providing "epaper backplanes," and that this is designed to directly compete against the Kindle... yet it is a color device, which "will feature a 7-inch full color touchscreen, and support functions of email, music, games and apps." That sounds exactly like the existing Nook Color, with essentially the same functions. And there's no mention of a NC2 at the Barnes & Noble site at present.
Something smells rotten in Denmark, here. Maybe B&N is engaging a new manufacturer to make the same product, probably cheaper... but that isn't clear.