Noble was set to announce its own e-book reader next week, the rumors have been flying, with lots of whispers that the gadget might just have a color display. Well, it appears those rumors are valid, with one big caveat: The upcoming eBook (as it appears to be called) apparently has a standard, 800 x 600 6-inch monochrome e-ink display along with a multitouch 480 x 144-pixel color LCD that’s designed for browsing book covers and perhaps other content, according to Gizmodo. That second display also would transform into a virtual keyboard.

Those waiting for a full color e-reader may be disappointed, but we have to say this seems to be an interesting hybrid solution that would take advantage of e-ink’s strengths (excellent battery life, no eye-strain while reading) while giving users a zippier interface to access content (yes, the device is said to have a wireless 3G connection, though no carrier has been announced). On top of all that, this e-reader apparently has a light built into the top of the unit, so you can read in poorly lit environments.