The next Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch ereader could have a front-lit screen that will allow users to more easily read in the dark, according to new leaked promotional images.
Nate Hoffelder of the ereader news blog The Digital Reader said he got his hands on some signage that Barnes & Noble stores are just now beginning to receive featuring the forthcoming device. The signage reads "Introducing Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight," and shows an image of a glowing black and white ereader.
The news comes just a week after it was revealed that the next generation of Amazon's E-ink Kindles could get new glowing screens. But now, it looks like Barnes & Noble is looking to bring an integrated front light to its simple ereader ahead of Amazon.
"It's important to note that the new Nook isn't getting a backlit screen like that on your LCD based tablet," Hoffelder wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "The Nook, like many ereaders, uses an E-ink screen and that means that you cannot have the light behind the screen." Instead, it will likely have a light embedded over the E-ink screen.
There's no word yet about the price or release date of the new Nook Simple Touch, but it will likely be coming soon. Hoffelder said he heard it is slated for a Thursday launch, meaning more details could come as early as tomorrow, or next week. The Nook Simple Touch currently sells for $99.
For more, see PCMag's review of the Nook Simple Touch. It earned our Editors' Choice for best budget ebook reader and received praise for its excellent touch-screen experience, fast page refreshes and access to more than 2 million books, newspapers and magazines. On the down side, however, it does not have 3G connectivity.
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