Barnes & Noble launches Samsung Galaxy Tab E Nook tablet for $249

Barnes & Noble and Samsung added a new device to their lineup of reader-focused tablets: the $249 Samsung Galaxy Tab E Nook.

The Galaxy Tab E Nook is the third device to spring from the partnership between Samsung and book retailer Barnes & Noble. The deal, stuck in June 2014, effectively ended Barnes & Noble's hardware ambitions, with the company leaving others to build Nook-branded devices. The Galaxy Tab E Nook follows its predecessors with a larger display and a lower price.

The new tablet's 9.6-inch screen allows you to read books, magazines and newspapers in both portrait and landscape mode. You can multitask using Samsung's Multi-Window, a feature that splits the tablet's screen to run two apps simultaneously. It also comes with a microSD card slot, along with Microsoft Office pre-installed.

The tablet, which is 0.33 inches thick and weighs 1.2 pounds, also comes with an offer of three free Nook Books and three free Nook magazines from a range of titles, plus a $5 starter credit and free lifetime in-store support.

"We're excited to give our customers even more ways to experience reading and entertainment with the addition of the Samsung Galaxy Tab E Nook and its spacious large display," said Fred Argir, chief digital officer at Barnes & Noble, in a statement.

The Galaxy Tab E joins two other Nook tablets from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook and the Galaxy Tab S2 Nook. The Galaxy Tab E Nook Tablet costs $249, with the others at $399 and $149 respectively.

Tablets were a hot commodity just a few years ago, but interest has waned with the industry offering few reasons to upgrade. Samsung's tablet sales have struggled lately, and rival Apple has seen iPad sales fall year over year for six straight quarters. Research firm IDC in August predicted that tablet shipments worldwide will decline 8 percent this year, with consumers holding onto their older tablets or opting for bigger-screen smartphones.