Rumor: Barnes & Noble readying Nook Tablet 2

Nook Tablet
Old tablet soon enough?

Barnes & Noble may soon be announcing the Nook Tablet 2 with a fall release date and, according to the expectations-raising rumor, it's going to have an "incredible display."

The source backed up that description, telling Engadget that this Nook Tablet follow-up will have 243 pixels per inch.

By comparison, this bests the current (but soon-to-be-outdated) Kindle Fire at 169 ppi and the iPad 2 at 132 ppi.

The 2012 iPad, at 264 ppi, still has slightly more pixels per inch thanks to its Retina Display.

The source is also quoted as saying the new Nook Tablet will be "super light" despite the high-end display specs.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the rumored Nook Tablet 2 will be going on any sort of design-changing diet. The current Nook Tablet weighs just 14.1 oz right now, lighter than the Kindle Fire, which comes it at 14.6 oz.

Adding to the mix

The news from this source is well timed for Barnes & Noble.

Amazon is expected to unveil the successor to its line of tablets, the Kindle Fire 2, Thursday, and might even produce two tablets at the Santa Monica event.

In October, Apple is rumored to be planning a stand-alone iPad Mini event separate from next week's expected iPhone 5 unveiling.

In addition to all of the hardware rumors, there's already an indication that Barnes & Noble will be launching a new video store. This would make sense given the pixel density of the Nook Tablet 2.

TechRadar reached out to Barnes & Noble for an official comment on the Nook Tablet 2 and new video store rumours and will update the story if and when the company responds.

Via Engadget

Matt Swider