Mobile and Connected Device Strategies

 

SlashGear reports sources close to the bookseller declined to provide more specifics but industry watchers surmise the new screens, which are being developed in-house with the help of another firm, could be along the lines of Pixel Qi’s Retina-like technology or even color screens based on technology from Mirasol. The new Nook is expected to roll out this fall at a lower price point in the U.S.$200 range.

 

Yankee Group Senior Analyst Boris Metodiev comments

 

“Whatever “revolutionary screen technology” means according Barnes & Noble, there won’t be any middle ground with it, especially after such information leaking to the press now, most probably intentionally. It will either be a great success and the new device will become a hot commodity, or it will be a flop that will be quickly forgotten. On one hand, there is no known ‘revolutionary’ screen technology close to being launched on a device, so this comes as a surprise. On the other hand, Barnes & Noble has been innovative in the past, specifically with GlowLight, which enables users to read e-Ink in the dark. The company may just want to hype up its new device and draw some attention to it, since Apple and Amazon are expected to launch much more highly anticipated tablets in the near future.

 

“Only time will tell how successful the new Nook tablet will be, but the battle on the tablet market certainly intensifies. Many manufacturers have tried and failed to steal some of Apple’s huge market share. Hardware innovations will be one of the most important ingredients for a company that wants to establish itself on this still relatively nascent market.”