There aren’t really all that many good Android tablets, but the OS is commonly used for cheap slates. Two years after it first debuted, the 7-inch Nook tablet is now getting a much-needed storage upgrade.
Update: According to B&N, there have been three cases of the power adapter included with the Nook breaking apart while in a socker. More information will be provided as the company works with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on a public product recall. The full statement is below.
We reported in December that Barnes & Noble’s $50 Nook Tablet was infected with malware that could transmit private information to China. At the time, the company denied that any data was being sent and that a future update would completely remove the software.
Now, less than two months after going on sale, the 7-inch tablet is no longer available online or in-stores, with one B&N employee alleging that the company is undertaking an internal “recall” of the product with no official reason stated.
Tablets are a slowly dying form factor, but for many, a cheap tablet is a fantastic option for getting things done on the go or just consuming media. Not everyone wants to spend hundreds on a tablet, though.
About a year ago, Amazon stepped in to fix that problem by debuting a 7-inch Android tablet that cost just $50, and wasn’t just total crap. However, there were still some big caveats aside from the specs. The tablet ran fine and the software was OK, but its performance degraded over time and the lack of the Google Play Store was a pain.
Then, things all changed when Barnes and Noble, seemingly out of thin air, introduced the NOOK 7, another small Android tablet with Google Play, decent specs, and a price tag of just $50. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks testing it out, and I’ve been pretty impressed.
Earlier today we showed you the Barnes and Noble NOOK 7″, a new competitor to Amazon’s popular $50 Fire Tablet. So far, we’re pretty impressed with what we’re seeing, but as we dig in further, we’re finding more and more about this tablet that continues to make us ask the question: how is this only $50?
Over the past couple of years, tablets have become less and less relevant. The form factor which once offered a great entry point into the world of Android has since been replaced with fantastic smartphones which are getting larger and much, much cheaper. Then, Amazon changed the game with its $50 Fire Tablet, which for the price, was passable. However, that cheap tablet’s biggest flaw (of many) was the lack of Google Play. That’s where the NOOK 7″ looks to improve.
We haven’t seen too many small tablets over the last year or two, mainly because our phones are getting larger, negating the need for an equally expensive slightly larger screen for most people. Those smaller tablets become a bit more useful (and kid friendly), however, when the price is super affordable.
