Barnes & Noble Announces 10-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook

Not content to let Amazon have all the e-reader tablet fun, Barnes & Noble and Samsung have teamed up to release a larger version of the Nook tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook features a 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution and comes preloaded with the e-book-seller's apps starting at $350 ($299 after $50 instant rebate). Plus, Barnes & Noble is throwing in $200 worth of popular content. 

The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook comes with 16GB of storage, with can be expanded through a microSD card. The device weighs 17.28 ounces, which is heavier than both the 15.68-ounce iPad Air 2 and the new 13.2-ounce Amazon Fire HDX 8.9-inch. Inside, you'll find a 1.2-GHz Qualcomm APQ 8026 CPU. The company claims a battery life of about 10 hours, but we'll have to run our Laptop Mag Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi) to be sure. 

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The new Nook joins the company's 7-inch model, and both will run updated Nook software. Barnes & Noble claims the update will offer a cleaner user interface, a better shopping experience, new navigational tools and an improved experience in both landscape and portrait mode. The 7-inch model will get the new software as an over-the-air update in November. 

The software already includes Samsung's Multi-Window mode, free Wi-Fi in Barnes & Noble stores, and parental controls with personal profiles for each member of the family. The free content that Barnes & Noble preloads includes four bestselling e-books: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Two of a Kind by Yona Zeldis McDonough and The Best American Series 2014: 12 Short Stories & Essays by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

You'll also get three TV shows: The Newsroom, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Octonauts. Plus, the Tab 4 Nook comes with four 14-day free trial subscriptions from 15 popular magazines, including Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, Us Weekly, People and other options. 

Barnes & Noble also throws in a smattering of apps, such as Cut the Rop: Expermients and Just 2 Words. Add in a $5 credit for a selection or two of your own and you have what looks like a good budget tablet for entertainment.

Anna Attkisson
Managing Editor
A lover of lists and deadlines, Anna Attkisson heads up features and special projects for Laptopmag.com, in addition to covering social networking and accessories. She joined the LAPTOP staff in 2007, after working at Time Inc. Content Solutions where she created custom publications for companies from American Express to National Parks Foundation.