As the first device to come out of the Samsung and Barnes & Noble partnership, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook promises to offer the best of both worlds: a great tablet and an industry-leading eReader. But that doesn't mean this 7-inch tablet doesn't face some serious competition from the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook | Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch |
| Starting Price | $179 (after $20 rebate) | $229 |
| Operating System | Android 4.4 | Kindle Fire 3.0 |
| Processor | 1.2-GHz quad-core Marvell PXA 1088 | 2.2-GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 |
| Graphics | N/A | 400-MHz Adreno 320 |
| Display | 1280 x 800 7-inch display | 1920 x 1200 7-inch display |
| RAM | 1.3GB | 2GB |
| Storage | 8GB (expandable to 32GB via microSD) | 16GB |
| Front/Rear Camera | 1.3-MP / 3.0-MP | 720p / N/A |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 802.11a/b/g/n | Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n |
| Ports | microSD card slot, microUSB charging port | microUSB, mic, headphone |
| Dimensions | 7.36 x 4.25 x 0.35 inches | 7.3 x 5 x 0.35 inches |
| Weight | 9.74 ounces | 10.7 ounces |
Amazon's 7-inch slate costs $229, while Samsung's costs just $179 (after a $20 rebate). The measurements of the two are comparable, with the 9.74 ounce Tab 4 Nook coming in a hair smaller at 7.36 x 4.25 x 0.35 inches vs. the 10.7-ounce Fire HDX's 7.3 x 5 x 0.35 inches. But once you look at their features, Amazon provides more processing power, a higher-resolution screen, more processing power and more onboard storage. However, Barnes & Noble uniquely offers on-site tech support, multi-tasking goodness and a 3-MP rear-facing camera.
MORE: Amazon Kindle Fire HDX vs. Google Nexus 7: Which Tablet Is Better?
The Fire HDX is powered by a 2.2-GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU. We've not yet tested the new Tab 4 Nook, but we're skeptical about how the 1.2-GHz quad-core Marvell PXA 1088 will stack up. For RAM, the Fire HDX offers 2GB, while the Nook has just 1.3GB.
Both slates offer dedicated profiles and robust parental controls for a family-friendly experience. Both also offer their own content portals for books, TV shows, movies, apps and games. But Nook does pack in the Google Play store as well, which offers a wider selection of content. We also like that the Tab 4 Nook comes preloaded with the Chrome browser, rather than Amazon's proprietary Silk browser.
Barnes & Noble noticeably pulled back on its operating system overlay, leaving a traditional Android 4.4 experience that some will appreciate. Still, Amazon's extras such as the Mayday button for on-screen tech support and X-Ray for additional info on books and music are pretty handy.
We're looking forward to testing Barnes & Noble's claims of 10 hours of endurance for its 400mAh battery. On our Laptop Mag Battery Test, we recorded 11 hours of battery life from the Fire HDX 7-inch. We also plan to update this comparison as soon as more test results are available.
