Barnes & Noble will soon launch a cheaper 8GB model of its Nook Tablet to help the company compete with Amazon’s blazing Kindle Fire sales, according to a document obtained by The Verge.
The current Nook Tablet runs $249, but it has had a hard time attracting cost-conscious consumers who prefer the $199 Kindle Fire. While I personally prefer the Tablet over the Fire because of its smoother processing, the average consumer likely sees the units as too similar to justify paying $50 more for one.
To bring down the price point of the Tablet, B&N will lower the storage capacity to 8GB from its currently available 16GB. That will lower the amount of room for storing e-books, e-magazines, games, and other media. Thankfully there is a microSD slot on the Nook Tablet that lets you bump up storage if you feel the need.
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
The Verge’s document points to a release date in just a few days, with timing at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday the 22nd. The document says units of the 8GB model should be delivered to stores between Feb. 18th and 21st.
Apple is also reportedly testing out a smaller size for its mega-popular iPad tablet, a move that would help it better fight smaller Android-based tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet.
A Barnes & Noble representative did not immediately respond with confirmation or denial of the report.
Nook Tablet photo: Barnes & Noble
