Tag Archives: Motorola Xoom

WiFi-only Moto Xoom releases March 27 at $599

March 16, 2011News, TechnologyAndroid Honeycomb, Honeycomb, Honeycomb tablet, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, price, release date, release date & price, tablet, WiFi-only, XoomScott Meisner

The post title says it all, really. Come Sunday, March 27 you’ll be able to buy a 3G/4G-less Motorola Xoom that solely relies on a nearby WiFi signal to connect to the Internet. Everything else remains the same: 10.1-inch display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of memory, Honeycomb, etc. The MSRP is set at $599 and it’ll be available for purchase at the following stores: Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club, Staples, and Walmart. Full PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading WiFi-only Moto Xoom releases March 27 at $599 →

Motorola Xoom goes on sale February 24 for $600 on contract

February 23, 2011News, TechnologyAndroid, Android 3.0, Google, Honeycomb, Honeycomb tablet, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, price, release date, release date & price, tablet, teaser, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, VZWScott Meisner

The wait for a worthy iPad contender has been tiring. Samsung’s Android 2.2-powered Galaxy Tab couldn’t compete with Apple’s iOS offerings (its successor, on the other hand, is anticipated). Android is finally ready to make the move to tablets, and Honeycomb looks scrumptious. The first Android 3.0-powered tablet out of the gate will be Motorola’s 10.1-inch Xoom, detailed here. Tomorrow, February 24 the Xoom will be made available on Verizon’s 3G network with promise of upgraded 4G LTE capabilities (at no additional charge) later this year (Q2 2011, somewhat more specifically). Here’s the pricing options you’ve got at launch. You can purchase the Xoom for $599.99 if you sign a new two-year contract with VZW; 3G data pricing starts at $20 for 1GB of monthly access. Or if you don’t feel like tying yourself to a carrier you can simply drop two additional Benjamins and rely on Internet access via WiFi hotspots. The pricer Xoom is currently listed on Best Buy, but it’s slapped with an in-store only pickup option. Verizon is also teasing it on its website, and their press release ambiguously says it’ll be available through them as well (online/in-store purchasing is not specified, unfortunately).

Update: We’re past midnight and tomorrow is now today. Verizon’s teaser site has transformed into an order page so there you go. Just to make things clear, Motorola is selling two SKUs: the $600 3G (upgradeable to 4G) model and the $800 non-3G (but still upgradeable to 4G) model. Apparently a cheaper WiFi-only version is in the works, but neither Moto nor Verizon have specified its arrival date.

Oh and there’s this. The Xoom will not ship with Flash support at launch. Crazy, right? At least the wait isn’t that long, and we know it is coming. According to Adobe, the makers of the ubiquitous video standard, “Flash Player 10.2 [will be] pre-installed on some tablets and [arrive] as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.” A few weeks time, you can handle it.

Jump after the break to find the aforementioned PR and a super cool Xoom teaser produced by the carrier.

[Via Engadget 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Motorola Xoom goes on sale February 24 for $600 on contract →

Super Bowl XLV commercials

February 6, 2011Movies, Technology, Television, VideoAngry Birds, Best Buy, Captain America: The First Avenger, commercial, Cowboys & Aliens, FOX, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, PlayStation Phone, Rio, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, Sports, Super 8, Super Bowl, Super Bowl commercials, Super Bowl XLV, Terra Nova, The X Factor, Thor, trailer, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Verizon iPhone, Verizon Wireless, VZW, Xperia PlayScott Meisner

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but #BrandBowl was trending right next to #SuperBowl in the Twittersphere during the big game today. While the sports-loving percentage of the country kept their minds focused on the Packers and Steelers, the rest of us admittedly didn’t care so much for the game and instead invested our time in watching the commercials placed neatly between timeouts and end of quarters. As you know, companies spend millions of dollars for a 30-second spot during the most watched (sporting) event on TV. So how did they fare this year? All in all they were alright; nothing wildly spectacular caught my attention but they were definitely some stand outs worth mentioning and watching again. From beer to cars to Doritos, tech, and movie trailers–it’s all after the break for you to peruse. Continue reading Super Bowl XLV commercials →

Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases

February 5, 2011News, Technology, VideoAndroid, Android 3.0, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Android Market, Android Market Web Store, developers, devs, Google, Google event, Honeycomb, in-app purchases, mobile OS, Motorola Xoom, operating system, OS, tablet, tablet OS, Web StoreScott Meisner

This week Google held a brief Android-themed event where they highlighted elements of the tablet-specific Honeycomb UI, introduced the Android Market Web Store, and previewed Android Market in-app purchasing. Hop after the break for all the details. Continue reading Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases →

Motorola takes a bite into Apple with “Goodbye 1984″ advert

February 1, 2011Technology, VideoApple, commercial, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, Super Bowl commercial, tablet, XoomScott Meisner

Here’s a sneak peek at Motorola’s flashy Super Bowl ad. The Motorola Xoom tablet was teased last month and detailed at CES, so now it’s time to build hype before its mid-February release. The Honeycomb packin’, dual-core processin’, 4G capable tablet is nearly ready to take on Apple’s iPad. More than that, Moto is going so far to spit on Apple’s “1984” ways (“One authority. One design. One way to work.”) and replace it with ideals including “choice,” “exploration,”and “freedom.” Gone is a world dominated by Apple and their pesky white iPod buds and ready to take over is a red gaseous planet with a giant M emblazoned on it. Tablet competition is about to get fierce.

[Via Engadget]

Motorola Xoom & T-Mobile G-Slate will run Android Honeycomb

January 9, 2011Images, News, Technology, VideoAndroid, Android 3.0, CES, CES 2011, G-Slate, Google, hardware, Honeycomb, LG, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, specifications, specs, T-Mobile, T-Mobile G-Slate, tablet, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, VZW, XoomScott Meisner

Motorola and T-Mobile were downright giddy to announce their upcoming tablet devices at CES 2011. That’s because they are excited to bring Honeycomb, Google’s latest iteration of Android built entirely for tablets, to salivating consumers. Since I already detailed Honeycomb, I think it’d be best to simply jump into specs talk. Let’s start with the Motorola Xoom since there’s far more information about this product out there. The Xoom features a 10.1 inch (1280×800) screen and packs NVIDIA’s latest Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. There’s a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with dual LED flash and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera; support for 720p video recording and 1080p video playback; 32GB of onboard storage that’s expandable with SD card support; 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth; and ports include HDMI out, micro USB 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting. It will ship with 3G support and eventually gain 4G LTE support on Verizon’s network. As far as battery life is concerned, Moto’s only saying that it supports up to 10 hours of video playback. Note that the Xoom does not pack physical buttons. With Honeycomb, Google no longer requires hardware manufacturers to include buttons along the rim of their devices. What used to be buttons are now illuminated icons that can be made visible on the device in landscape or portrait modes. Motorola says they’ll ship the sexy Xoom tablet as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in Q1 2011 (we’re in that quarter now, so soon!) and they promise these devices will be upgradeable 4G LTE in Q2. Also in Q2 Moto will introduce an all-out 4G LTE/Wi-Fi- enabled Xoom. According to recent reports, a strictly WiFi-enabled version will also debut in the Spring. The Xoom looks like it’s going to be a hot item when it ships; a speedy Tegra 2 processor and the tablet-optimized Honeycomb OS marriage will surely make for an enjoyable mobile experience.

An honorable mention goes to the T-Mobile G-Slate because it is just one of the few tablets announced at CES 2011 that promises to run Honeycomb when it releases. T-Mobile has partnered with LG to make the hardware. Aside for it being the “first 4G Android 3.0 powered tablet” from T-Mobile, we know nothing else about it really. At the press event T-Mobile and LG execs held up the mystery tablet, and it look like standard fare–a black slate. We’ll have to wait for a more detailed announcement in the coming weeks.

Look in the gallery below for close-ups of the Motorola Xoom, and hop after the break to read some PR and watch a couple introductory product videos.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Continue reading Motorola Xoom & T-Mobile G-Slate will run Android Honeycomb →