“Nook Glowlight Plus: Waterproof, High-Resolution eReader with Aluminum Design”
Not too long ago, I published an article about the future of dedicated reading devices. The reason for it was the bleak forecast given by some analysts for eBook readers. Among a few other arguments (best to read the article for more), I contrasted this with the negative example of Barnes & Noble. The largest brick-and-mortar US bookstore quickly lost the battle for the domestic eBook market after it shifted its focus from eReaders to tablets.
Apparently, Barnes & Noble has now also come to the conclusion that dedicated reading devices are still the be-all and end-all of the digital book market. After several years without a competitive model, the company has introduced the Nook Glowlight Plus today.
The device offers impressive technology at a competitive price. Like most other new releases this year, the new Nook features a high-resolution 300 ppi screen. The resolution of the 6-inch display is therefore 1448×1072 pixels. E-Ink Carta is used as the display technology. This puts the eReader on par with competitors like Amazon’s (Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage), as well as the Kobo Glo HD and the recently introduced Tolino Shine 2 HD and Vision 3 HD.
In some initial hands-on tests, the lighting makes a good impression and seems to be evenly distributed. The LEDs are apparently located at the top of the screen. Typically, these are found at the bottom.
New Perks and Old Criticisms
A special perk is that the Nook Glowlight Plus is waterproof and dustproof. Much like the Kobo Aura H2O, the eBook reader has an IP67 certification, which means it can remain underwater at a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes.
However, users will have to do without expandable memory. The device has a total of 2.5 GB of internal storage, of which 2 GB is reserved for Barnes & Noble content. 500 MB is available for use with external eBooks. While this practice has been used by the US company for quite some time, it is still not appreciated from the customer’s perspective.
The back casing of the Nook Glowlight Plus made of aluminum.
The Nook Glowlight Plus is now (again) operated via a capacitive touchscreen. The direct predecessor models used infrared technology. Another innovation is the choice of materials for the casing. The back is now made of aluminum (in bronze color), providing a tactile experience potentially similar to that of old Sony models.
Despite this, the device is still not heavy: At 195 grams, the new Nook is lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite (205 grams). Its dimensions are 163.6 x 119.6 x 8.6 mm. As usual, you can access the integrated store via Wi-Fi.
It is assumed that Android is still used as the operating system. The user interface has been revised, which was indispensable given the higher resolution.
Retreat to the US Market
The Nook is currently only available in the USA, but it will likely also be offered in the UK. The price is set at 129 US dollars, the same level as the (ad-supported) Kindle Paperwhite. In Germany, however, there is no need to hope for a market launch, as Barnes & Noble has only recently announced its withdrawal from the rest of the European market. The previously planned international expansion is therefore off the table.
At least adventurous digital readers can import the device and, thanks to Adobe ID support, also use it with the usual stores in this country.
From a German perspective, the launch of the Nook Glowlight Plus is still quite interesting. Despite losing the fight for the digital book market in the USA due to poor decisions regarding tablets and recurring analyst predictions about the end of eReaders, the bookseller is betting on a high-quality dedicated reading device. Clearly, customer demand is still sufficiently strong in the saturated US market to justify such a step after years of losses.
This means that, for the first time in a long time, the bookseller has a competitive model on the market for the upcoming holiday season to go head-to-head with Amazon. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the online retailer might also introduce a new model in the coming days. Many market observers believe that Amazon will release a new version of the Kindle Voyage—but this is by no means certain.
