Amazon and Borders are not the only companies with e-reader apps for Android. B&N has just released nook for Android to give Android phone owners the chance to download and read e-books on their devices. nook for Android is compatible with devices that run Android 1.6 or above. It is very similar to nook for iPad and supports B&N’s LendMe feature too. Here are the official features advertised on B&N.com:

This is another sign that e-reader makers are realizing that software is the answer. Both Amazon and B&N will be selling their hardwares for the foreseeable future. At the same time, it all comes down to selling those e-books. Being on as many platforms as possible gives Amazon and B&N the chance to sell a ton of e-books.

Kobo eReader may not be the best e-book reader around, but it has made a lot of players in the e-reader market nervous. The device is priced low and offers almost everything one would need to read books (without the unnecessary bells and whistles). Just like Amazon Kindle and Nook, Kobo has gotten its own apps for mobile devices. Kobo apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry let Kobo e-Reader owners to purchase, bookmark, and read their books on the go.

Android tablets are on their way. So is Amazon Kindle for Android. Kindle fans have been waiting for Amazon to make its move and bring its e-book software to one of the most exciting mobile platforms around. It has taken some time for Amazon to deliver a solution for Android, but the wait seems to be finally over. Amazon has announced that Kindle for Android is indeed on its way. The app will give Android device owners the chance to gain access to over 500K titles available in Amazon Kindle store. It will also include Whispersync technology to make it easier to sync and read documents on multiple Kindle-powered devices.

Credit: @craignewark - Twitter

I have been a big fan of Craig (and his listing empire) for years now. When you hear powerful people such as him talk about Kindle for Android, you have to assume that Amazon is listening. So Amazon is going to bring Kindle to iPad, but it’s not going to be agile enough to develop an app for Android smart-phones? The challenges of developing Android apps are well-known. Let’s not assume that it’s going to be easy for Amazon to address some of those issues. At the same time, focusing only on Apple and forgetting about one of the fastest growing mobile platforms on the market seems a bit silly at this point.

Amazon has stepped up its efforts to market Kindle more effectively by spending some more money on TV commercials and encouraging people to test drive Kindle with no risks.We also know that the company is working with the developer community to give Kindle SDK a better chance of succeeding. But everyday that passes by, Amazon loses some momentum. While I don’t rule out an April surprise by Amazon, it’s tough to see what the company can do to stop Apple’s momentum (other than bringing Kindle app to as many platforms as possible, Android include).

I have said in the past that Android can be what Amazon has been waiting for the move Kindle to the next level. With Android apps, Amazon Kindle can have access to plenty of applications (and their developers) to enhance user experience on Kindle. Now can it happen?

Android is currently designed for Mobile phone, but there is no reason Kindle can’t handle Android. I think the big problem for Amazon is figuring out how to get out of their “closed” system without losing their competitive edge (the e-book market). Amazon’s current software is designed to drive sales for the Kindle store. While there is no question that the same features can be implemented on any OS, I am not sure Amazon is ready to put Android on Kindle. I think Android can boost Kindle beyond what we have seen so far from Amazon ( and it may lower the prices too). But I’d be surprised if any version of Android made it to Kindle before the summer of 2009.

So what do you guys think? Is Android the magic pill Amazon needs to take Kindle to the next level?