Barnes & Noble to discontinue Nook 3G?

Barnes and Noble will discontinue the Nook 3G, according to “hard evidence from within B&N” collected by Engadget. Stores have been told to refrain from filling bulk orders, the site reports.

Cnet’s David Carnoy is skeptical of the story, labeling it a “rumor,” which, with “hard evidence” being the only source cited, it is. But further, Carnoy writes, “Amazon offers both a 3G/Wi-Fi Kindle and Wi-Fi-only Kindle, and Barnes & Noble would most likely continue to offer models that compete with what Amazon’s got.

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“In any case,” he continues, “we think that Barnes & Noble will continue to offer some sort of sub-$200 3G-enabled Nook as long as Amazon is offering one. But to be clear, that’s just speculation. We have no ‘hard evidence’ to prove some change is coming to the Nook line, and Barnes & Noble doesn’t comment on rumors.”

Barnes & Noble started selling the Nook in November 2009, with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Last June, the retailer launched a Wi-Fi-only version for $149 and lowered the price of the 3G/Wi-Fi version from $259 to $199. The company says sales are strong, but if the rumors are true, it could be that few Nook users feel that 3G is worth the extra $50.