14 DAY TRIAL // Barnes & Noble seems to be in the midst of upgrading its product lineup with a new eReader device that will be released in the popular Nook line in order to help the outfit in its fight against Amazon.
The new eReader will become the company’s fifth eReader released in the Nook range when it becomes available, in spring this year.
Sadly, details are scant at this point in time, as Cnet reports that Barnes & Noble executives declined to give any further comment on the new Nook.
Despite the lack of information, Barnes & Noble can only take this new device in two directions.
One of these could be to build a new slate somewhat similar to the Nook Tablet, but with a larger screen and a higher retail price, while the other would involve developing a low-cost eReader which could break the sub-$50 (37.8 EUR) barrier.
If we were to guess, we would say that a larger Nook Tablet would seem like the more logical option, since it could allow Barnes & Noble to increase its profit margins, while also capitalizing on the success of the Nook Tablet/Color.
Furthermore, such a device could also help B&N in its fight against Amazon, especially if it manages to release its tablet before the electronic commerce giant brings a similar offering to the market.
The current 7-inch Nook Tablet was released in November of 2011 and during the short time that it’s been out it managed to become extremely popular thanks, in part, to its $249 (about 188.5 EUR) retail price tag.
Its closest competitor, both in terms of features and price, is the Amazon Kindle Fire, which sports a similar configuration, except for storage space, which is more limited on the Fire, and has an MSRP of $199 (150 EUR).