Barnes and Noble has a new Nook that’s going to get released next week so all the murmurs of B&N discontinuing the Nook can be put to rest for another year or two.
The Nook Glowlight 3 is reminiscent of the original Nook Touch. It has a similar design with the larger bezels and it brings back the page buttons on each side of the screen.
The new Nook is available to pre-order right now for $119 and it gets released on November 8th.
Like the previous model, it has a 6-inch 300 ppi E Ink screen, but unlike the Glowlight Plus this model is not waterproof.
The main difference with the Nook Glowlight 3 is the fact that it has a frontlight with adjustable color temperature, like the Kobo Aura One and H2O.
It also adds a soft touch finish for better grip, as opposed to the slick aluminum on the Glowlight Plus. Battery life is rated at up to 50 days when reading 30 minutes per day. It has Wifi and a micro-USB port, but no memory card slot.
B&N’s product page says it has 8GB of storage space, but then it states only 2.5GB is available for Nook content and sideloaded content. That doesn’t make any sense. There’s no way the system takes up 5.5GB. It probably has 6.5GB of usable space.
So there’s nothing revolutionary about the new Nook by any means but it’s good to see Barnes and Noble keeping the Nook around for all the loyal Nook customers out there. I kind of like the fact that they went back to the older design with the page buttons, and the adjustable frontlight color will make some folks happy.
Yes, definitely like the Simple Touch style of this one with wide bezels and buttons. I’m gonna have to keep telling myself I really, really don’t need it.
Well, I caved. Pre-ordered.
I was going to pre-order one until I saw how long shipping would take. Hopefully I can just stop by a store and grab one next week.
My Nook Glowlight Plus was updated today, November 4, 2017, to 4.8, to look like the new layout for the Glowlight 3. As usual, you will not be able to download library books because of another issue with ADE after a software update. And it appears after talking to Barnes and Noble’s Nook customer service representative the Glowlight 3 has the same issue.
I have a Glowlight Plus, too, and you CAN download library books. After you download the file from OverDrive, etc., you need to go into “My Computer”, copy and paste the file from “My Digital Editions” and then turn on the WiFi on the nook.
The only thing I can say at this point “meh”. It is not a game changer especially given availability limited to US only… and especially while owning Kobo Aura One and H2O already…
Glad to see Barnes and Noble still in the game, for now, however the game is over for me…Oasis 2 is awesome!
Yes – Good to see B&N back in the game! — and with a good offering for the price point.
Normally I roll my eyes at those who ask rhetorically & hyperbolically why B&N hates their customers, but that thing is ugly as sin. Buttons are nice to have though. I can’t tell if it has a raised bezel or not.
It should be a crime to fit such a small screen in such a big device. Those bezels make me cringe.
Well this has a nostalgic feel to it. It reminds me of the Simple Touch which I really loved. If they do a trade in deal, I just might indulge.
Well surprise surprise!
I still like the Simple Touch layout and form factor better than all of the Ereaders I own. I still have an old Simple Touch, but I need to replace the battery. I might buy this one…
It’s funny how some people like the design and others hate it. I actually like it too, makes it comfortable to hold with larger bezels, but hopefully the buttons aren’t as stiff as they were on the original Nook Touch.
I was thinking the same thing — decent sized bezels are actually not a bad thing for e-readers. Need to be able to hold them comfortably.
I have more than one e-reader but the one I always go back to is the Simple Touch with Glowlight. I like the way it feels.
Why competition is good…more people satisfied.
I’d be kicking myself for picking up a Kindle Voyage if this thing’s bezels weren’t so huge. My hands are small and I have joint problems… unless this is extremely light, the center of gravity will make it painful to hold. My main reason to upgrade from a Paperwhite was to reduce weight and size.
The storage discrepancy stems from the limits that B&N imposes on sideloaded books; they reserve most of the storage for books purchased from them.
It’s a horrible design intended to chain you to their bookstore and, personally, I won’t reward them for it by buying it … even IF I were inclined to buy a device from a soon-to-be bankrupt company. Of course, I’m completely satisfied with the Kobo Aura One and the Kindle Oasis 2 so I have no interest in this in any event.
You can do much better with Kobo or Kindle.
That was true at one time but not anymore. I think they just copied it from the Glowlight Plus page because it says the same exact thing, except with 4GB of storage instead of 8: “4GB memory: 2.5GB for NOOK Store content and side-loaded content”. That leaves 1.5GB for system files so clearly there is no restriction with sideloaded content.
Agree with Nathan — this looks like just a typo. Doesn’t make sense.
For the most part I’ve moved to Kindle, but I still have a ton of books for the Nook platform. My current Nook device is the Simple Touch. I like it, but I would prefer to have one with an installed light. If they have a trade in deal on this, I’ll probably pick it up.
If Barnes and Noble would take the design of the Nook HD+ (9 inch) and convert it to an eReader with the light options and the OS of the Nook Simple Touch, they would have a winner.
Well, I am retiring soon, and about to become a more regular ereader. My wife and daughters use Nooks and have a substantial Nook library. I was just about to order a Kindle Paperwhite, when I saw this. I REALLY like the color-shifting screen. I have pre-ordered this unit.
At this time, Nook still seems like a viable platform, and my hope is that Nook and Kobo will merge in the future.
Will there ever be a new large-screen Galaxy Tab Nook? I have the Tab 4 Nook from 2014 and would love some improvements!
Guys, I’ve purchased every Nook that’s come out and have never had an issue with side-loaded epubs. I’ve already tried two “Glowlight 3” models and both are not accepting side-loaded content. Anyone else having this issue?
DRM-free ePubs or ones infected with Adobe DRM?