The Barnes & Noble Nook (styled nook or NOOK) is a brand of e-readers developed by American book retailer Barnes & Noble, based on the Android platform. The original device was announced in the U.S. in October 2009, and was released the next month. The original Nook had a six-inch e-paper display and a separate, smaller color touchscreen that serves as the primary input device and was capable of Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless connectivity. The original Nook was followed in November 2010 by a color LCD device called the Nook Color, in June 2011 by the Nook Simple Touch, and in November 2011 and February 2012 by the Nook Tablet. On April 30, 2012, Barnes & Noble entered into a partnership with Microsoft that spun off the Nook and college businesses into a subsidiary. On August 28, 2012, Barnes & Noble announced partnerships with retailers in the UK, which began offering the Nook digital products in October 2012. In December 2014, B&N purchased Microsoft's Nook shares, ending the partnership.
Nook users may read nearly any Nook Store e-book, digital magazines or newspapers for one hour once per day while connected to a Barnes & Noble's Wi-Fi.Nook In-Store. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
Naming The Nook name and identity was devised and created by the Brand Development Group at R/GA. Nook was initially rejected as a name by Barnes & Noble but eventually the connection to a nook being a familiar place to read was compelling enough to change the minds of the company's executives. This decision pivoted on the information contained within an NPR article which suggested that female readers tend to read more than men.Why Women Read More Than Men. September 5, 2007 The name is also claimed by Rex Wilder when he was consulting for Ammunition Design Group.
Devices Current Nook GlowLight 4 (E Ink) In December 2021, B&N announced the 4th generation of the GlowLight e-reader. The GlowLight 4 has an enhanced lighting system that provides a cool white during the day or in rooms with bright light, but then can manually or automatically switch to night mode with an orange tone for reading in dark spaces with less blue light. The device also has physical page turn buttons and is the first device to have USB-C.
Nook GlowLight 4 Plus (E Ink) On September 6, 2023, B&N released the GlowLight 4 Plus e-reader with a 7.8-inch display. The larger 4 Plus retains the enhanced lighting and 300 ppi resolution of the GlowLight 4 but the display is now flush with the front of the device. Like the others in the GlowLight 4 family it has physical page turn buttons and USB-C but is the first of its type to have a capacitive touch (rather than physical) home button. The 4 Plus also is the first e-ink Nook to include a headphone jack and Bluetooth audio support for listening to audiobooks.
Nook 9" Lenovo Tablet (LCD) On February 5, 2024, B&N announced a 9" LCD Android tablet for $149.99. The device contains 64 GB of storage (up to 128 GB with microSD card purchased separately) and a thirteen-hour battery life. The 9" color display features TÜV Rheinland certified eye protection to protect against blue light, offers Grayscale, Chromatic & Immersive Reading modes, and is fingerprint resistant. The tablet also comes with a front and rear camera. Along with audiobooks and Bluetooth compatibility, the tablet sports an audio jack and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, as well as a USB-C port for varied headphone options, charging and data transfer purposes. The Nook Lenovo tablet is available in Arctic Grey and Frost Blue.
Discontinued E Ink Devices Nook 1st Edition
The device has two versions, a Nook that includes Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless connectivity, and one that only includes Wi-Fi.
3G + Wi-Fi version This version made its debut on November 22, 2009, at a retail price of US$259. It was offered with built-in Wi-Fi + 3G connectivity for free access to the Barnes & Noble online store. This has a six-inch E Ink display, and a separate, smaller color touchscreen that serves as the primary input device. The price was dropped to US$199 on June 21, 2010, upon the release of the new Nook Wi-Fi. With the announcement of the newer Nook Simple Touch Reader, on May 25, 2011, the price was dropped to US$169. In early 2011, Nook Wi-Fi + 3G was discontinued.
Wi-Fi version This version of the Nook 1st Edition supports only Wi-Fi (not 3G Wireless), and is easily distinguishable due to its white back panel (in contrast to the gray back panel of the Wi-Fi + 3G version). Nook Wi-Fi made its debut on June 21, 2010, at a retail price of US$149. With the announcement of the newer Nook Simple Touch Reader, on May 25, 2011, the price was dropped to US$119. In September 2011, the price was dropped again, to US$89. In late 2011, Nook Wi-Fi was discontinued.
Nook Simple Touch
Announced on May 25, 2011, the Simple Touch Reader (also informally referred as Nook 2nd Edition) was released on June 10, 2011, at a retail price of US$139. The Simple Touch is a Wi-Fi only Nook, with an infrared touch-screen, E Ink technology, and battery life of up to two months (or 150 hours, offering approximately 25,000 continuous page turns with Wi-Fi turned off). The device weighs with dimensions of 6.5" × 5" × 0.47".
On November 7, 2011, the Simple Touch Reader's price dropped to US$99. On December 9, 2012, the Simple Touch Reader's price dropped to US$79. On December 4, 2013, the Simple Touch Reader's price dropped to US$59. In February 2014, the Simple Touch Reader was discontinued due to being phased out by the GlowLight.
Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight
On April 12, 2012, a Nook Simple Touch Reader with built-in LED lighting, called "GlowLight", was released with a retail price of US$139. This model is distinguishable from the non glow light model by a gray bezel on the outer edge.
On September 30, 2012, the Simple Touch Reader with Glowlight's price dropped to US$119. On August 18, 2013, the Simple Touch Reader with Glowlight's price dropped to US$99. On October 30, 2013, the Simple Touch Reader with Glowlight was discontinued due to being phased out by the Nook Glowlight.
Nook GlowLight The Nook Glowlight (marketed as the "nook GlowLight") e-reader was released on October 30, 2013. The Glowlight uses a 6-inch touchscreen with E Ink Pearl, Wi-Fi and has a battery life of two months with wireless off; it launched at a US$119 retail price. It weighs with dimensions of 6.5" × 5" × 0.42" and has 4 GB of storage, of which 2 GB is reserved for Nook Store content and 512 MB for additional user content. The device uses Android 2.3 Gingerbread and it has an 800 MHz processor with 256 MB of RAM. Compared to the Nook Simple Touch Reader, the GlowLight has a white exterior, a brighter screen, a boost in screen resolution to 1024 × 758 and a more durable silicone edge. Compared to the Simple Touch, the microSD card slot and page-turn buttons have been removed.
Nook GlowLight Plus (6 inch) The Nook GlowLight Plus e-reader was released on October 21, 2015, and it features a 6-inch 300 ppi Carta E Ink screen with frontlight and touchscreen, Wi-Fi, an aluminum rear shell, six weeks of battery (1,500 mAh) life with wireless off,6.4 by 4.6 by 0.4 inches and weighs 6.9 ounces, and meets IP67, meaning it is waterproof for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 1 meter and is dustproof.Nook Glowlight Plus Now Available—Waterproof, Dust-Proof, 300ppi Screen, and only $129. Retrieved 21 October 2015. The Nook software is run on Android 4.4 KitKat and it has 2.8 GB of user-accessible storage.First Nook Glowlight Plus Update Rolls Out—Did You Know That It Runs Android 4.4? Retrieved 22 October 2015. The GlowLight Plus uses a Freescale i.MX6 1 GHz CPU and has 512 MB RAM.Inside the Nook Glowlight Plus (It's Been Hacked) Retrieved 23 October 2015.
Since the device runs Android 4.4, third-party apps and launchers can be installed. Due to the lack of physical buttons, initial set up to install third-party apps is done through a USB connection to a computer.
Nook GlowLight 3 In November 2017, B&N announced the 3rd generation of the GlowLight e-reader. The device returned to a design more reminiscent of the original Simple Touch with its 6-inch screen and dropped the IP67 certification. The Glowlight 3 has an enhanced lighting system that provides a cool white during the day or in rooms with bright light, but then can manually or automatically switch to night mode with an orange tone for reading in dark spaces with less blue light.
Nook GlowLight Plus (7.8 inch) In May 2019, B&N announced the GlowLight Plus e-reader. The device is the largest Nook e-reader to date with a 7.8-inch E Ink screen. The Glowlight Plus is waterproof, has 8 GB of storage, a color-shifting frontlight similar to the GlowLight 3, and it has physical page turn buttons. The lighting technology has adjustable settings for a cool white color during the day and a warmer tone at night.
Nook GlowLight 4e In May 2022, B&N announced a 6" GlowLight e-reader. The 4e has similar specifications as the GlowLight 4, but lacks the enhanced lighting system of the GlowLight 4. The device also has physical page turn buttons and USB-C.
LCD Devices Nook Color
Released on November 19, 2010, and priced at US$249, the Nook Color comes installed with Android 2.1 Eclair. The device is powered by a TI OMAP 3621 800 MHz processor, and has 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of flash storage, a 7" LCD screen, and a microSD expansion slot. On February 21, 2012, the price of the Nook Color was reduced to US$169. On August 12, 2012, the price of the Nook Color was reduced to US$149. On November 3, 2012, following the release of the Nook HD and Nook HD+, the price of the Nook Color was reduced to US$139.
Nook Tablet
The 7-inch Nook Tablet, based on Android OS, with 16 GB of internal storage became available on November 17, 2011, for US$249. A version with 8 GB of internal storage was made available February 21, 2012, for US$199, replacing the Nook Color in that price range. On August 12, 2012, the price of the Nook Tablet 8 GB and Nook Tablet 16 GB were reduced to US$179 and US$199 respectively.
Nook HD
Nook HD (styled NOOK HD), announced September 26, 2012, and released November 1, 2012, along with the Nook HD+, is a 7-inch tablet with a resolution of 1440x900. It competes with the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD and comes in two colors: snow and smoke (a dark gray). It has a Texas Instruments 1.3 GHz dual-core processor with 1 GB RAM. It can play back video at 720p from the NOOK Video store, much like Amazon.com's Instant Video service. The Nook HD was initially priced at US$199 for 8 GB and US$229 for 16 GB. It then sold at reduced prices at US$129 for 8 GB and US$149 for 16 GB.
The Nook HD runs a heavily modified version of Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The Nook HD/HD+ line was originally planned to be discontinued, as announced in Barnes & Noble's 2013 Fiscal Year-End Report, due to financial losses. A few months later, B&N President Michael P. Huseby announced that the company "intends to continue to design and develop cutting-edge Nook black and white and color devices at the best values in the marketplace", following the resignation of former CEO William Lynch.
Nook HD+
Nook HD+ (styled NOOK HD+) is Barnes & Noble's first tablet capable of playing back movies and television shows downloadable from NOOK Video store at 1080p resolution. Announced on September 26, 2012, the NOOK HD+ is a 9-inch tablet with a 1920 × 1280 resolution. It competes with the similar 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD and has a Texas Instruments 1.5 GHz dual-core OMAP 4470 processor and was initially priced at US$269 and US$299 for 16 and 32 GB, respectively. Nook HD+ runs a heavily modified version of Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Nook