Motorola - Xoom Youtube Video and Overview

Motorola's new tablet boasts a slightly larger screen and resolution (10.1 inches, 1280x800) than Apple's existing iPad. It also uses a cinematic 16:9 display ratio aimed at watching movies, contrasted with the more computer-like 1024x768 resolution of the iPad's 9.7 inch screen and its portrait-oriented dock, aimed more at productivity apps like Apple's own Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

Internally, Motorola's Xoom tablet uses a faster dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 SoC, roughly similar to the new Texas Instruments chip used by RIM's PlayBook; both are a full generation ahead of the Apple A4 SoC used in last year's iPad and the similar Samsung Hummingbird chip used in the Galaxy Tab. Xoom also includes 1GB of RAM, four times as much as the existing iPad.

The Xoom also includes dual cameras; a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video chat and a 5 megapixel rear-facing unit with 4× digital zoom and auto focus, capable of 720p video capture. Apple's existing iPad has no cameras, while the coming iPad 2 refresh is expected to add a much simpler VGA FaceTime camera and basic 1 megapixel rear camera identical to that being used in the iPod touch, rather than the significantly better 5 megapixel camera used by iPhone 4.

Xoom is, according to an Engadget report, expected to become available February 24, in a CDMA/EVDO 3G-only version sold by Verizon for $800. The unit will be accompanied by optional data plans that start at $20 32GB per month for 1GB, but an ad from BestBuy also notes that "to activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of 1 month data subscription is required." Unlike the iPad, there are no cheaper WiFi-only versions of the Xoom.

Stay up-to-date with news about the Motorola Xoom

Motorola Xoom Release Date and Pricing Revealed

Best Buy has released an image ad that confirms that the Motorola Xoom will be launched on February 24, and its price will be $799. This is very expensive, even compared to the iPad, but when you compare the hardware, the iPad just doesn't compare to the Xoom. However, people are sure to be complaining and hesitant to buy before the price drops.

Motorola's new tablet boasts a slightly larger screen and resolution (10.1 inches, 1280x800) than Apple's existing iPad. It also uses a cinematic 16:9 display ratio aimed at watching movies, contrasted with the more computer-like 1024x768 resolution of the iPad's 9.7 inch screen and its portrait-oriented dock, aimed more at productivity apps like Apple's own Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

Internally, Motorola's Xoom tablet uses a faster dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 SoC, roughly similar to the new Texas Instruments chip used by RIM's PlayBook; both are a full generation ahead of the Apple A4 SoC used in last year's iPad and the similar Samsung Hummingbird chip used in the Galaxy Tab. Xoom also includes 1GB of RAM, four times as much as the existing iPad.

The Xoom also includes dual cameras; a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video chat and a 5 megapixel rear-facing unit with 4× digital zoom and auto focus, capable of 720p video capture. Apple's existing iPad has no cameras, while the coming iPad 2 refresh is expected to add a much simpler VGA FaceTime camera and basic 1 megapixel rear camera identical to that being used in the iPod touch, rather than the significantly better 5 megapixel camera used by iPhone 4.

Xoom is, according to an Engadget report, expected to become available February 24, in a CDMA/EVDO 3G-only version sold by Verizon for $800. The unit will be accompanied by optional data plans that start at $20 32GB per month for 1GB, but an ad from BestBuy also notes that "to activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of 1 month data subscription is required." Unlike the iPad, there are no cheaper WiFi-only versions of the Xoom.

Stay up-to-date with news about the Motorola Xoom

Motorola Xoom Overview

The Motorola Xoom tablet is dripping with Android 3.0 Honeycomb sweetness. It's the first version of Android that Google, the operating system's creator, says is ready for the big screen. Along with a dual-core processor and a 10.1-inch display, the Xoom could be the tablet that shows Apple's iPad who's boss.

The Motorola Xoom is the first Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet to be announced and we managed to get a sneak peek at the eagerly anticipated slate at Motorola's preview event in London.

At just 740g, the Xoom is heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Tab but is around the same weight as the iPad. It uses the same Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and 1GB of RAM as Motorola's new Atrix smartphone. Motorola claims the 10.1in screen has a resolution of 1,280x800 which sounds a little odd to us – we'd expect most screens of that size to have a resolution of either 1,024x600 or 1,366x768.

Thanks to Android 3.0, the Home screen looks disorientating and different if you're used to an Android 2 smartphone but it actually has most of the same user interface elements you'd expect. A taskbar of favourite apps runs along the bottom of the screen, while a Search field and a button listing all the installed apps run along the top. In the middle are widgets which have been redesigned to take advantage of the extra screen resolution. For example, the GMail widget includes a scrollable Inbox list while the Calendar widget lists your appointments for the day.

Many of the bundled Google apps have also been tweaked to make the most of the Xoom's large screen. The web browser has desktop-style tabs and the Incognito privacy mode familiar to Google Chrome users. The YouTube app lists videos on a scrollable 3D wall similar to the Top Sites feature in Apple's Safari web browser. Google Maps now has an optional 3D mode showing the outlines of buildings on streets in over 100 cities including Birmingham and Cardiff, but oddly not London at present.

GMail now shows your list of labels and the contents of your inbox simultaneously in two separate panes. Tapping a message shows a preview of the message alongside the contents of your inbox or selected label. Android 3.0 still has separate apps for GMail and other email accounts, such as Exchange, so we weren't able to see if Exchange users will be able to take advantage of this expanded user interface.

Motorola's Xoom 3G Contract may Similar iPad's

The new upcoming Motorola Xoom tablet may be offered with a 3G contract similar to that of the iPad. That is, if Verizon maintains the current tablet contract scheme it offers with Samsung's Galaxy Tab.

Motorla's Xoom is one of the most highly anticipated tablets since the introduction of Apple's iPad early last year. The Xoom will be the first tablet to use Google's Android 3.0 operating system ("Honeycomb"), have front and rear-facing cameras, a dual-core Nvidia processor, and Google Talk with video chat, among other marquee features.

Verizon offers the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet--which has integrated 3G capabilities only one-way: for full price ($499.99) with a month-to-month 3G contract. This makes the structure of the 3G contracts more or less the same as the iPad's, which is also month-to-month.

Will the Motorola Xoom follow suit? That, of course, remains to be seen, but Verizon's across-the-board pricing strategy for tablets is currently to offer the tablet at full price with month-to-month 3G, according to documentation that can be obtained at Verizon stores.

Verizon is already on the record, stating that the "XOOM device will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in Q1 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2."


Verizon tablet 3G data pricing differs slightly from iPad pricing. The iPad offers a 2GB data plan for $25 a month, on a month-to-month basis. For tablets, Verizon currently offers a 1GB plan for $20 and a 3GB plan for $35. (Verizon also offers a 5GB plan for $50 a month and a 10GB plan for $80.)

The full price of the Xoom is not known yet, though rumors have it ranging from $699 to about $799. The iPad 3G ranges from $629 to $829.

There is also the possibility that Verizon will offer a two-year contract that would likely bring down the Xoom's price.
One of the outstanding questions is whether the Xoom will be more of a 4G device, as Verizon's promotional materials seem to indicate.

It is not clear at this point how a 4G data plan for a Verizon tablet would be structured.