Barnes & Noble called on Samsung to keep the Nook alive, but early reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook are suggesting that the pair's efforts may have been off target when conceiving the low-end entry into a market crowded with unforgiving competition.
The 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook weighs in at 9.74 ounces and is 0.35 inches thick. The Nook is fitted with a 1.3-MP camera on its face and a 3-MP capture device on its back.
Both the white and black versions of the latest Nook come with 8 GB of internal storage and arrive loaded with a complement of Barnes & Noble apps. Its apps are all that separates the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook from Samsung's Galaxy Tab 4, as the two devices' hardware is the same. It also comes with Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, runs Android 4.4 KitKat and has 1.5 GB RAM.
The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook's specs are almost equal to the Nook HD. But with the latest Nook beating out its predecessor in processing power, Michael P. Huseby, CEO of Barnes & Noble, praised his company's latest tablet for its performance.
"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 Huseby. "We invite reading and entertainment fans to visit their local Barnes & Noble store to experience the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. Once they do, we're certain they will make this innovative device part of their daily routine."
In the hands of reviewers, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook's performance wasn't impressive. At least one reviewer complained of delayed responses from the Nook.
"My biggest problem with the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, however, is that it seemed a bit slow," stated one reviewer. "There were a few occasions where I noticed a delayed response after pressing the home button. The screen also appeared to be too sensitive at times. If I tilted the tablet slightly while shuffling in my seat on the train, the screen would change or scroll. This isn't a major issue, but it could cause you to lose your place while reading."
Another reviewer tore into the latest Nook's illumination and pixels per inch. The absence of "distraction free" modes for reading and the Nook's failure to deliver the sharp display Samsung is capable of led the reviewer to characterize the tablet as dated.
"If this were two years ago, low resolution would be expected on a lower-end color tablet, and probably forgiven," stated the reviewer. "But Amazon has had super-sharp 1080p displays on its HDX lineup for a year now, not to mention the Nexus 7. Load the free B&N ebook app onto one of those, and it will put the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook to shame."
The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook launched on Aug. 20 with a promotional discount, bringing the price of the tablet down to a retail price of $179.
