Barnes & Noble's Nook Media subsidiary, together with Samsung Electronics America, unveiled the new co-branded tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.
The 7-inch tablet combines Samsung's world-class tablet technology and the unique reading experience that Nook provides into a device that is the first full-featured Android-based tablet specially optimized for readers.
"The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is the most advanced NOOK ever, delivering the great NOOK experience our customers have come to love, with the high-performance tablet features they've asked for," said Barnes & Noble CEO Michael Huseby.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook will sell for $179, including an instant rebate of $20. Purchasing the device entitles the customer to over $200 worth of free content that can be downloaded through the Nook Store, which includes bestseller books, top TV programs and popular magazines, among others.
In a press release unveiling the device, Barnes & Noble said that its research has shown that the development of technology for mobile devices, which includes tablet computers, has changed the reading habits of Americans.
Barnes & Noble carried out the research through a Harris Pool online study involving U.S. adults. The results showed that 77 percent of respondents see reading as an important part of their lives, while 67 percent said that reading improves their mood. Over the previous three years, 76 percent have increased their reading, with 44 percent having access to a mobile device for reading.
In addition, mobile devices have changed the meaning of reading, with personal email messages as the top item read with 96 percent of respondents. Second on the list are online content such as websites and blogs at 73 percent, followed by social media at 67 percent, work-related content at 46 percent, digital newspapers and magazines at 40 percent and eBooks at 31 percent.
Barnes & Noble developed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook with Samsung for the users that read through all the different kinds of content, while also having the capability to enjoy watching videos and using apps.
The device features all of the powerful hardware specifications boasted by the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, as a tablet that is thinner and lighter than all previous Nook devices. It packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi capabilities and a microSD card slot.
Differences from the regular Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 include a homescreen widget that shows recommended and recently accessed titles, along with the Nook store of Barnes & Noble as the main content source instead of Samsung Hub or the Google Play Store.
Users can now purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook at over 660 Barnes & Noble bookstores, or online through the company's website.
