Affordable Android tablets are everywhere. They outnumber high-end flagships, and they sacrifice some features and hardware to stay in the sub-$300 price range. With the right expectations in mind, it’s possible to get decent use out of one of these devices.
Lenovo’s 9-inch Nook tablet is one such device. There have been a few Nook LCD tablets from Lenovo and Barnes & Noble over the years, including a 10-inch version released in 2021. The latest tablet promises a familiar Nook reading experience, running Android 12 and powered by Lenovo’s core hardware.
Lenovo Nook 9 inch Tablet
Lenovo’s 9-inch Nook tablet gives Barnes & Noble book lovers the chance to consume most of their media in one place. The Nook overlay feature lets you purchase Nook books directly on the tablet or audiobooks, which can be enjoyed via the built-in speakers or the 3.5mm headphone jack.
- Reading mode mutes colors to reduce eye strain.
- Buy Nook books directly on the device
- It has a 3.5mm jack and built-in speakers.
- Lenovo’s Nook 2021 tablet gets a big improvement in processing speed
- The offer is not good.
- Android is already behind the previous two generations.
Price, availability and specifications
The latest Nook and Lenovo collaboration is priced at $150, and like the Nook, it’s sold exclusively through Barnes & Noble.
What are the good features of the Lenovo Nook 9-inch Tablet?
Decent performance for the cost
We didn’t have a great software experience while testing the Lenovo Tab M9, a very similar tablet, but I had no complaints about the Nook 9’s performance.
When you’re using the device for reading, listening to audiobooks, using social media, and watching Netflix, it’s clear that casual, low-risk use is the primary purpose here, and expecting anything else is simply unfair. It’s not a gaming tablet, but basic App Store games like sorting colored water bottles are no problem.
Related
Lenovo Tab M9 Review: Spend Your Money on Something Else
Even with some great features, Lenovo’s budget tablet can’t keep up.
There is one downward-facing speaker and one upward-facing speaker, both powered by Dolby Atmos, and the audio performance is definitely one of the tablet’s biggest strengths. The volume, detail, and overall sound quality are commendable for its price.
I have taken the tablet outside a few times to refer to while in the park or just to read in the sun, and it has handled this well, not washing out in the sunlight.
Battery life is good for a tablet but varies greatly based on usage. During the first week, I used the Nook purely for reading, with auto-brightness and a reading mode that dims colors and turns on harsh lighting. The tablet died on day seven of reading for two to three hours a day and on day three of three to four hours of mixed media, like watching movies, scrolling through social media, streaming music, and reading. The manufacturer claims 13 hours on the tank, and I’d say that’s about right.
What’s bad about Lenovo’s Nook 9-inch Tablet?
Every device that doesn’t need a camera
Once upon a time, the Nook released a tablet with a high-resolution LCD screen that readers were obsessed with. At some point, the Nook’s LCD screens took a backseat. Reading in black and white, you don’t feel like you’re missing out on much, but there’s definitely a flatness and subtle softness to details when reading color titles like cookbooks and comics or streaming a movie on Netflix.
The camera is pretty poor, which is what I expect from any device under $300 or so, whether it’s a tablet or a phone. I used my favorite subject to test the lens — a bowl of fruit. The tablet’s focus was poor, there was no detail retention, and the rich, shadowy texture that makes bowls of fruit such great subjects was lost.
If this is the lens quality I have to accept at this price, I’d rather not buy a camera on my $150 tablet at all, and save a few bucks on non-existent hardware instead.
While I don’t think it affected my experience much, it’s worth noting that the 9-inch Nook ships with Android 12, which is already behind the previous two generations. Lenovo’s sub-$50 tablets, like the Tab M11, have an advantage over the new Nook by running Android 13 out of the box.
Should you buy it?
If I ended up using my 9-inch Lenovo Nook tablet before the Nook 4 Glowlight Plus and my multiple tablets, including an iPad and Galaxy Tab, I’d be happy to use this one just for reading and casual media consumption for a while. It’s great as an LCD replacement for e-ink reading, meets expectations with simple tasks, and works well with colorful media like cookbooks and comics.
As someone who reads more plain, picture-free books than any other type, I still use my E Ink device. I prefer e-readers, like the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus, because of their longer battery life and form factor, especially the page-turn buttons.
Related
Nook Glowlight 4 Plus Review: A Worthy Upgrade for Nookworms
Barnes & Noble finally added audiobook listening to the Nook, but we still don’t have a perfect e-reader.
This isn’t a high-resolution $1,000+ tablet, and I wouldn’t call it one, but its screen is good enough for home chefs, comic book fans, and movie buffs who don’t care about analyzing screens down to the pixels. In simple terms, it’ll do the trick for current Nook users who can’t afford a higher-end tablet. I hope the Nook explores more e-ink formats, like tablets larger than 10 inches or color e-ink devices, but Lenovo’s new tablet will keep me satisfied in the meantime.
Lenovo Nook 9 inch Tablet
Lenovo’s new 9-inch Nook tablet features a modest 1340 x 800 LCD display, 64GB of storage, and built-in Nook access, allowing users to quickly purchase and enjoy audiobooks, manga, comics, cookbooks, and more.
- System on a chip
- Mediatek Helio G80
- Display type
- LCD screen
- Display dimensions
- 9 inches
- Display resolution
- 1340 x 800
- storage
- 64GB, up to 128GB with microSD card
- battery
- 5100 mAh
- Shipping Options
- Wired only
- Ports
- USB-C charging, 3.5mm headphones
- SIM card support
- no
- OS
- Android 13
- Front camera
- 2MP Fixed Focus
- Rear camera
- 8MP auto focus
- Cellular communication
- no
- wifi connection
- Dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Dimensions
- 8.46 x 5.38 x 0.31 inches
- Weight
- 12.16 oz
- pencil
- no
- price
- $150
Related
Best E Ink Tablets in 2024
Slim designs, clear displays, and intuitive note-taking.
