Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook hands-on

Last year, we were eagerly waiting for a refreshed NOOK tablet of some kind, since we assumed that it would follow the path of having a yearly upgrade. After Amazon announced its new line of Kindle Fire tablets over the busy holiday season, we really thought it would only be natural for Barnes & Noble to follow suit – much like they’ve done in previous years. Well, the holiday season came and went, and to our surprise, there was no new NOOK tablet.



Luckily, things are a wee bit different this time around, as Barnes & Noble is partnering with Samsung for its latest NOOK tablet – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. Indeed, it’s just like the existing 7-inch sized Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 we’ve reviewed already, but it’s been enhanced on the software side to provide users with the best reading experience. So, does it actually live up to that claim?

Design

We surely remember the previous NOOK tablets: the original NOOK Tablet, then subsequently the NOOK HD and NOOK HD+. Looking at them, most people would have some time difficulty differentiating them because of their identical designs.



Now that they’re partnering with Samsung, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook ditches the old Barnes & Noble design scheme and goes with Sammy’s distinctive one. In all fairness, though, there’s nothing too astounding here with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, which flaunts the same design used the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4. Despite the predictable look, it’s still the same plastic constructed tablet that’s pretty manageable for reading – thanks in part to its compact size and lightweight feel.

Display

During the announcement of the tablet, Barnes & Noble’s CEO deemed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook to offer the best reading experience. Certainly, that’s a tough sell from the onset because it employs a 7-inch 1280 x 800 LCD display, which is a far cry from the higher resolutions of other comparable tablets in its segment. Yes, we’ll attest that the resolution is good enough for reading books and magazines with minimal squinting on our part, but in order for it to “offer the best reading experience,” we would’ve preferred to see something more outstanding.



Regardless of that, we can’t complain about the display’s pleasant qualities. From a quick glance, it exudes a slightly more saturated tone for an LCD-based display, which isn’t a bad thing per se, especially when it allows the screen to come to life when viewing photos and videos. In addition, it features great clarity and wide-viewing angles, which in a way, helps it to offer readers a great viewing experience in different conditions.

Interface