If it’s been a while since you’ve heard of Barnes & Noble’s Nook devices, that’s because it’s really been a while since they released a new one. But yes, these e-readers are still alive and kicking even though most of them are out of stock already on most retail stores. The good news, if you’re a Nook fan, is that they will reportedly announce a new Lenovo-made tablet by next week. And while there’s no confirmation yet, it might be an Android tablet, just like the last Nook they released.
The Verge says that Barnes & Noble has confirmed with them that they will be selling new units that will be arriving this spring. And those new units may actually be the new device that they will be announcing next week. Not much is known about this tablet except that it is made by Lenovo and that it’s not just an e-reader but a Nook tablet. The possibility that it’s an Android tablet is also pretty high since there are no other platforms that are doing well in the market.
Also, the last tablet that they released was the 10.1-inch Nook tablet which is their largest Android tablet. So far. Unfortunately if you’re looking for this tablet or their other Android tablets, they have not been available since July last year. Even their e-readers, the Nook GlowLight 3 and the GlowLight Plus are sold out. This led to some thinking that Barnes & Noble will be discontinuing their Nook e-readers and tablets anytime now.
But according to Susan McCulloch, the senior director for Nook operations, the lack of stock is because of the “exceptionally strong” sales of their e-readers, even though they seem to be slightly outdated especially when compared to Amazon’s Kindle devices. So if they are to be believed, the lack of stocks is really more because of an increased demand rather than them planning to exit the business.
We’ll probably find out more next week when they announce the Lenovo-made Nook tablet. Hopefully, they update their e-reader hardware and bring a better Android tablet to the market.
