Barnes & Noble has decided to knock $20 off the cost of its Simple Touch with GlowLight e-reader in a move that could signal one of two things – the company may be prepping the launch of a refreshed version of the device, or it could be a sign that it’s about to go the same way as its tablets.
Now costing $100, the price cut is the second for the e-reader since it launched in April last year. In September 2012 the company knocked it down to $120 from $140.
The new price tag could well generate some interest from those looking for a reasonably priced e-reader, with the GlowLight Simple Touch now selling for $20 less than Amazon’s Paperwhite e-reader, which also incorporates a built-in light.
Challenging times
The New York-based company has been having a hard time of it in the last couple of years, struggling in the hardware market in the face of tough competition from the likes of Amazon, Google and Apple.
In June it announced it would end the manufacture of its own range of tablets – including the Nook HD and Nook HD+ – at the same time revealing it has plans to launch a new tablet “co-branded with yet-to-be-announced third-party manufacturers of consumer electronics products.”
Then last month, William Lynch stepped down from his position as CEO of the company after failing to make a success of the bookseller’s transition into the digital market with its Nook range of tablets and e-readers.
As for the discounted Simple Touch with GlowLight – an e-reader that Barnes & Noble said was “designed to address E Ink customers’ number-one request: the ability to read in the dark in bed and avoid disrupting a significant other” – the device was praised in a DT review for its responsive touchscreen and excellent battery life, and noted as “a great alternative to the Kindle”.
If you’re interested in the discounted device and want to know how it shapes up alongside Amazon’s Paperwhite offering, check out DT’s in-depth comparison here.
