Samsung unveils the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, the Nook’s potential savior

Back in June, Samsung announced it would be joining forces with Barnes & Noble to release a new tablet which combines the hardware of the Galaxy Tab 4 and the content of the Nook library. On Wednesday, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook became official.

As expected, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is nearly indistinguishable from Samsung’s original tablet, all the way down to the specifications. The tablet features a 7-inch 1280 x 800 OLED display, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and Android 4.4 KitKat. There’s also a microSD card slot for expanded storage, which you’ll probably need if you plan on loading the device up with book.
What separates the new Nook from the Galaxy Tab 4 is its interface. Once you turn the tablet on, you’ll be presented with Barnes & Noble’s familiar Nook UI. It’s definitely an eReader first, tablet second.
“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 Michael P. Huseby, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. “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.”
The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is available now at Barnes & Noble locations as well as online at BN.com for $179 (after a $20 instant rebate). The tablet also includes over $200 in free content from the Nook Store, including book, TV shows and magazines. The full press release follows below.

Samsung and Barnes & Noble Introduce New Samsung Galaxy Tab^® 4 NOOK^®

NEW YORK & RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics America and NOOK Media, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), today announced the introduction of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab^® 4 NOOK^®, a 7-inch tablet combining Samsung’s leading technology and NOOK’s extraordinary content and reading experience. This new co-branded tablet offers the best of both worlds: the first-ever full-featured Android tablet optimized for reading. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is now available in more than 660 Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.bn.com and www.nook.com for $179 after a $20 instant rebate, and includes more than $200 in free content from the NOOK Store^® including bestselling books, popular TV shows, top magazines and more.
With tablet tools for everyday use and an endless collection of reading and entertainment options, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK lets readers connect to the world when they need to, and escape from it whenever they want. Barnes & Noble research shows that while the rise of mobile technology, including tablets, has undeniably changed how, what and the ways in which Americans read, they’re doing more of it than ever.

• Over three-quarters (77 percent) of U.S. adult respondents to a recent online study conducted by Harris Poll for Barnes & Noble agree with the statement that “Reading has always been an important part of my life.”
• Over two-thirds (67 percent) say reading puts them in a better mood.
• Seventy-six percent of U.S. adults state their reading habits have increased over the past three years, and nearly half, over two in five (44 percent), attribute access to an eReader, tablet or smartphone as the reason.
• Tablets have not only changed our reading habits, but what it even means to read – personal email (96 percent) is now the number-one item read, followed by social media (67 percent); Web sites, online articles or blogs (73 percent); work-related materials (46 percent); eBooks (31 percent); and digital magazines or newspapers (40 percent).

So the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is designed for those who love to read in all forms as well as browse the Web, watch videos, enjoy apps and more.
“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 Michael P. Huseby, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. “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.”
Mr. Huseby added that Barnes & Noble will continue to support all NOOK devices and said that the new product would be sold alongside the popular NOOK GlowLight™ eReader.
Easy-to-Hold, Premium-Designed Tablet
The new 7-inch device features Samsung’s sleek, ultra-light premium tablet design and all of the hardware specs of its Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. It is lighter and thinner than any previous color NOOK device at 9.74 ounces and .35 inches. Designed to be comfortable to hold, consumers can easily read, watch or dive into any other features or content at home or on-the-go. The crisp, brilliant and beautiful HD display makes it immersive to enjoy books, magazines, games and videos, with long-lasting battery life to match.
“We’ve taken our bestselling Samsung Galaxy tablet and made it the best tablet available for reading and entertainment,” said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. “We are excited to bring the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK to customers through Barnes & Noble’s bookstores nationwide.”
Tablet Tools for Everyday Life
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is a high-performance tablet with all of the tools that customers need to stay entertained, connected and productive. For the first time ever, NOOK customers can enjoy one of their most requested tablet features: built-in 1.3-megapixel front- and 3-megapixel rear-facing cameras for photos and video chats. The Wi-Fi^® enabled device has the full suite of Google applications featuring Chrome Web Browser, as well as built-in GPS capabilities for location-based apps and more. With Samsung Multi Window innovation, customers can use more than one app simultaneously and share content between apps at the same time, like reading an email and finding a location on Google Maps.
Get the Most Out of Reading and Entertainment
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK gives customers an extraordinary collection of digital content to explore from Barnes & Noble. The expansive NOOK Store’s reading and entertainment content offers:

• Over 3 million books including bestsellers, new releases, classics and enhanced titles with special content.
• An extensive offering of popular comic books and graphic novels as well as picture-perfect art, photography, travel guides and cookbook titles.
• An expansive collection of best-loved children’s books – over 9,000 – including chapter books and a selection of picture books with a proprietary interactive experience.
• The NOOK Newsstand^®, with the largest digital collection of the top 100 bestselling U.S. magazines available for both digital subscriptions and single copy sale, and a vast collection of newspapers and magazines from around the world. Find reading tools like ArticleView™ that lets the reader focus on the text, customized to their needs and the Visual Table of Contents that provides a quick scan of the entire issue allowing a reader to jump directly to any article or section.
• A large collection of NOOK Apps™ featuring a wide range of uniquely curated titles for the whole family, including the hottest games, as well as lifestyle, productivity, news, entertainment and other apps.
• A wide NOOK Video™ selection offering customers their favorite movies and TV shows from major studios and networks, available for purchase or rental.

Discovery couldn’t be easier for all types of content with a bookstore-like browsing experience, NOOK Today, and unique cross-content features based upon customer interests and relevant topics. Hundreds of NOOK Channels™ support expert content curation based on interest and sensibility. This popular discovery feature is powered by Barnes & Noble’s breakthrough recommendation system which combines its bookseller knowledge with advanced algorithmic technology.
Free with Purchase: $200 in Popular NOOK Content
Barnes & Noble will welcome all Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK customers with more than $200 of free NOOK reading and entertainment content including three free bestselling eBooks including Freakonomics, The Wanderer, and I Am Number Four, and an episode each of three hit TV shows: HBO’s Veep, NBC Universal’s Hannibal, and BBC America’s Orphan Black. As part of the package, magazine lovers can choose up to four 14-day free trial subscriptions from a selection of 12 popular magazines – including Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, US Weekly and more, and also receive the previous 12 issues of each title at no cost. A $5 credit will also help customers get started as they explore the NOOK Store. More detail on the free NOOK content offer can be found at NOOK.com.
Barnes & Noble also offers great complimentary content through its Free Fridays program, offering a free NOOK Book^®, NOOK Video or NOOK App each week. For a limited time, Barnes & Noble is also offering up to 50 percent discounts on over 50 top items in categories including books, magazines and newspapers, apps and movies. Visit NOOK.com or the NOOK Store on a NOOK to learn more.
Easy-to-Use and Customizable
Intuitive and user friendly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK enables users easy access to recent and favorite content and to discover new interests across all content types in one place. Current NOOK customers who upgrade and sign in will find their existing library of NOOK content loaded and ready to enjoy.
Right from the fully integrated home screen, get customized recommendations, access the NOOK Store or browse the web. With customizable NOOK Profiles, every member of the family can create their own immersive reading experience, curated and tailored to their individual interest and reading preferences.
Availability and In-Store Support
The ad-free Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is available immediately in both white and black 8GB models for $179 after a $20 instant rebate at Barnes & Noble bookstores and on BN.com and NOOK.com. Customers can personalize their new devices with a number of NOOK-designed accessories including colorful two-way stand covers and kimono sleeves, an anti-glare screen and more.
Experience the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK in a local Barnes & Noble store and learn more from one of the company’s expert booksellers. In store, NOOK customers receive complimentary, personal NOOK support with no appointment needed. While in-store, customers can also receive suggestions on what to read next, access free Wi-Fi, and enjoy the popular Read In Store program, which allows guests to read any book free for up to one hour per day, just like browsing the physical shelves. Customers can also take advantage of a full calendar of popular NOOK events, including NOOK Night workshops, family Storytimes, book discussion groups and author signings.
Show Your #NOOKfaces
With the launch of the new product, Barnes & Noble is kicking off its #NOOKfaces Contest, encouraging customers to submit selfies, emojis or memes expressing how they feel while reading their favorite book for the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK or Barnes & Noble Gift Cards. To enter, customers can visit the NOOK Boutique^® at their local Barnes & Noble store or submit their entry using the hashtag #NOOKfaces on Twitter and Instagram through September 22, 2014. Learn more at www.nook.com/NOOKfaces.