Samsung partners with Barnes and Noble for Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK -- but why?

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Samsung makes great products -- you really can't go wrong with anything it makes; televisions, washing machines, tablets -- all wonderful. Sure, some people don't like the interface that the manufacturer uses for Android, but those people are just being whiny -- TouchWiz is fine. Just install Nova launcher if it bothers you that much.

Today, Barnes and Noble is releasing Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK. While Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets do not have standard Android or access to Google's Play Store, this new tablet does. In fact, it is essentially just the regular 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 with the NOOK app pre-installed and some perks. So the question is, why does it exist?

"The new 7-inch device features Samsung's sleek, ultra-light premium tablet design and all of the hardware specs of its Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. It is lighter and thinner than any previous color NOOK device at 9.74 ounces and .35 inches. Designed to be comfortable to hold, consumers can easily read, watch or dive into any other features or content at home or on-the-go. The crisp, brilliant and beautiful HD display makes it immersive to enjoy books, magazines, games and videos, with long-lasting battery life to match", says Barnes and Noble.

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The book-seller further explains, "Barnes & Noble will welcome all Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK customers with more than $200 of free NOOK reading and entertainment content, including three free bestselling eBooks FreakonomicsThe Wanderer, and I Am Number Four, and an episode each of three hit TV shows: HBO's Veep, NBC Universal's Hannibal, and BBC America's Orphan Black. As part of the package, magazine lovers can choose up to four 14-day free trial subscriptions from a selection of 12 popular magazines -- including Cosmopolitan, Sports IllustratedUS Weekly and more, and also receive the previous 12 issues of each title at no cost. A $5 credit will also help customers get started as they explore the NOOK Store".

According to Samsung's website, the existing Galaxy Tab 4 is normally $199 but on sale for $179. Guess what price the Nook is? Yup, $199 but on sale for $179. The only difference is that the NOOK edition comes with $200 worth of perks, such as books, magazines and movies.

I guess if you are in the market for a 7-inch tablet and were considering the Galaxy Tab 4, you might as well get the NOOK edition for the freebies. However, as you can see above, the perks are very limited -- single episodes of TV shows? 14-day magazine subscriptions? That seems like ways to get consumers to spend money rather than reward them.

It is purely speculation, but this partnership seems more like a way to get rid of excess Galaxy Tab 4 tablets. I mean, since the NOOK edition has access to Google Play and alternative reading apps like Kindle and Google Books, the upside is rather limited for Barnes and Noble as a way to sell content. For Samsung, yet another tablet further crowds its own offerings and may confuse consumers.

Do you think the Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is even a necessary product? Tell me in the comments.

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