Android Tablet

Review
February 23, 2011
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Motorola XOOM review

By on February 23, 2011 at 9:00 PM.

Motorola XOOM review

The Motorola XOOM isn’t the first Android tablet, but in a way it kind of is the first Android tablet. It runs Google’s latest OS designed exclusively for tablets, and the difference between Honeycomb and earlier versions of Android on a tablet is night and day. The XOOM is a beautiful 10.1-inch device powered a dual-core processor, dual cameras, loads of memory, and it’ll soon be 4G-capable on the nation’s most reliable network — who could ask for more? I’ve been testing the Motorola XOOM for a few days, and I’ve definitely put this sleek new slate through the paces. Hit the jump for BGR’s full review.

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Breaking
February 22, 2011
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Verizon Wireless to launch Motorola XOOM on February 24th; $599.99 on contract

By on February 22, 2011 at 9:15 AM.

Verizon Wireless to launch Motorola XOOM on February 24th; $599.99 on contract

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday confirmed its plans to launch Motorola’s highly anticipated Honeycomb tablet on Thursday, February 24th. The carrier also confirmed pricing for the device, which will cost $599.99 with a two-year service contract or $799.99 without a contract. 3G data service will start at $20 per month for 1GB of data. Verizon notes that the XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE in the second quarter of this year for free, but it does not provide any pricing information for its upcoming 4G data service. The Motorola XOOM features a 10.1-inch touchscreen display, a dual-core 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera with HD video capture support and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chat. BGR went hands-on with the XOOM tablet at CES and at MWC, and we were impressed on both occasions. Hit the break for Verizon Wireless’ full press release. More →

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Tablets
February 21, 2011
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Sony readying dual-display Android tablet, sliding Windows 7 VAIO tablet for Q4

By on February 21, 2011 at 9:03 PM.

Sony readying dual-display Android tablet, sliding Windows 7 VAIO tablet for Q4

An unconfirmed report on Monday suggests that Sony is working on two unannounced tablets slated for release later this year. Struggling electronics giant Sony has been noticeably absent from the tablet tsunami coming our way this year, but it looks like the company has plans to change that in time for the holidays. Sony is already rumored to be working on a PlayStation certified S1 tablet, and now two new slates are supposedly in the works as well. The first, codenamed S2, is set to be a clam shell Android device with dual 5.5-inch displays, a Tegra 2 processor, Wi-Fi, embedded 3G and a modified version of Google’s Honeycomb OS designed to take advantage of two screens. The other rumored tablet is said to be VAIO-branded. It will allegedly run Windows 7 and feature a 9.4-inch display, an Intel Atom processor and a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Sony is said to be targeting a $699 price point with the S2, and the Windows 7-powered VAIO tablet will cost $799 or more. Both devices are rumored to be scheduled for launch ahead of the 2011 holiday season. More →

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Software
February 16, 2011
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Google announces ‘One Pass’ subscription solution for publishers [video]

By on February 16, 2011 at 8:41 PM.

Google announces ‘One Pass’ subscription solution for publishers [video]

Just one day after Apple made its App Store subscription service available to publishers, Google has already responded by announcing a similar service for its Android platform. The solution will also work in Web-based clients, allowing publishers to reach users on multiple platforms with a single solution. Much like Apple’s implementation, Google’s One Pass provides users with a single interface where they can access and manage all of their digital newspaper, magazine and other content subscriptions. Unlike App Store subscriptions, however, Google gives publishers much more freedom with regard to pricing models and flexibility. Publishers will also be able to give free or reduced subscriptions to paid print subscribers, and they can even utilize a freemium model if they so desire. Hit the break for a video from Google outlining the One Pass product. More →

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Tablets
February 16, 2011
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Motorola confirms XOOM pricing; around $600 for Wi-Fi only, $799 for cellular connectivity

By on February 16, 2011 at 1:13 PM.

Motorola confirms XOOM pricing; around $600 for Wi-Fi only, $799 for cellular connectivity

Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha on Wednesday confirmed pricing for the company’s upcoming Honeycomb tablet, the Motorola XOOM. Speaking to the press at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Jha stated that a version of the XOOM with cellular data connectivity will be available from Verizon Wireless for an unsubsidized price of $799. Earlier rumors suggested that Best Buy would offer the XOOM for the same price. The tablet will have the option to connect to Verizon’s 3G data network — and later this year, its 4G LTE network as well — for a monthly fee, but buyers will not have to sign a service contract with the carrier. Jha also stated that the Wi-Fi-only version of the Motorola XOOM will be available for around $600. More →

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Tablets
February 16, 2011
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Hands-on with the Motorola XOOM [video]

By on February 16, 2011 at 10:08 AM.

Hands-on with the Motorola XOOM [video]

At this year’s Mobile World Congress, Motorola gave both journalists and consumers their first opportunity to touch, feel, and experience its soon-to-be-launched tablet, the XOOM. Sure, we’ve gone hands-on with Motorola’s tasty Honeycomb tablet before, but today we got to spend a bit more time with the sleek slate. We sat down with our friends from Moto and got a chance to shoot some video, take some pictures, tap on the tablet, and ask questions. We couldn’t get the electronics manufacturer to comment on pricing, or pin them down on an exact release date, but we did get enough hands-on time to give you an idea of exactly what the XOOM is about. Hit the jump to check out the video, photo gallery, and to read our thoughts! More →

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Tablets
February 16, 2011
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HTC Flyer tablet appears on German Amazon site for €669

By on February 16, 2011 at 9:11 AM.

HTC Flyer tablet appears on German Amazon site for €669

HTC announced its first tablet device — the HTC Flyer — at Mobile World Congress on Tuesday, though the company was mum on pricing and specific availability. An apparent slip up on the German Amazon website may shed some light on pricing, however, and we hope our European friends are sitting down. According to the product page, which has not yet been taken down as of the time of this writing, the HTC Flyer will retail for a whopping €669 off contract, or just over $900 at today’s exchange rate. Of course, that includes Europe’s VAT tax and pricing varies between markets so we obviously shouldn’t expect to see the Flyer launch at $900 here in the U.S., but that’s quite a price to pay for a slate that doesn’t even include Google’s tablet OS, Honeycomb. The HTC Flyer will feature Google’s Android 2.4 operating system along with a custom HTC Sense UI, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, micro-SD card slot, HDMI-out and DLNA support. Don’t forget to check out our HTC Flyer hands-on impressions and gallery for more on HTC’s upcoming virgin tablet offering. More →

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Tablets
February 4, 2011
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Motorola previews Super Bowl XOOM ad; shots fired at Apple now more subtle

By on February 4, 2011 at 3:20 PM.

Motorola previews Super Bowl XOOM ad; shots fired at Apple now more subtle

As it turns out, Motorola’s Super Bowl XLV television advertisement won’t be as blatant a shot at Apple as the teaser spot we showed you on earlier this week. Orwell’s 1984 is still the theme, however, and we all know why. Motorola debuted a preview of its upcoming Super Bowl spot on Friday, and the full advertisement will run on Sunday during the game. Dubbed “Empower the People,” the commercial pitches Motorola’s upcoming XOOM tablet as an orange in a world full of, ahem, apples. “The Super Bowl offers a special opportunity to connect a broader consumer audience to our new company, brand and devices as the most watched and celebrated sporting event of the year,” said Motorola Mobility CMO Bill Ogle in a statement. “Our new ad featuring Motorola XOOM demonstrates how people have more options to connect with each other, in a very personal way, through technology.” Hit the break for the video preview of Motorola’s commercial for its upcoming XOOM tablet, along with a press release. More →

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Tablets
February 3, 2011
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Full video from Google’s Honeycomb event now available

By on February 3, 2011 at 7:59 PM.

Full video from Google’s Honeycomb event now available

Following Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb event on Wednesday, the Internet giant has made its full press conference available on YouTube. From start to finish, anxious Android fans can now relive all of the action — Cee-Lo appearance and all. Google had a sleek new Motorola XOOM on display for the demos during the presentation and it did a fantastic job showing off Google’s new tablet-only OS. From the new home screen and app-switcher UI to the revamped YouTube interface and the email application — Honeycomb appears to be much better suited for tablets than currently available versions of the OS, and Android fans are right to be excited. Hit the break for the full video from Google. More →

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Tablets
February 3, 2011
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Samsung: Galaxy Tab return rate is below 2%

By on February 3, 2011 at 11:26 AM.

Samsung: Galaxy Tab return rate is below 2%

Following a string of misguided reports, Samsung on Thursday issued a comment suggesting that recent claims of high Galaxy Tab return rates are wildly misguided. ITG on Monday released the findings of a wonderfully unscientific study that claimed 15% of Galaxy Tab buyers in the U.S. returned the Android tablet following their purchases. The report went on to compare that astronomical figure to a 2% return rate for Apple’s iPad — though ITG only looked at iPad sales from a single third-party vendor: Verizon Wireless. In any event, Samsung today issued a statement on its Samsung Tomorrow blog. “ The return rate of the Galaxy Tab in the US as claimed by an North American market research firm is incorrect,” the company said. “According to Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business the return rate is below 2 percent.” Samsung did not address earlier claims that the Galaxy Tab’s sell-out rate was very poor, though the basis of those claims turned out to be a misquote of a Samsung executive’s statement during the company’s recent earnings call. More →

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Retail
February 1, 2011
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ITG: Samsung Galaxy Tab return rate is 15% in the U.S.; iPad only 2%

By on February 1, 2011 at 10:52 AM.

ITG: Samsung Galaxy Tab return rate is 15% in the U.S.; iPad only 2%

Acting as armed guards protecting the honor of the Queen, tech blogs and press across the Internet exploded in unison yesterday in an effort to right wrongs committed against the magical, and apparently peerless iPad. A report on Monday suggested that Android tablets — namely the Samsung Galaxy Tab — had finally put a dent in the iPad’s consumer tablet market share, causing it to drop from 96% to 77% last quarter. The firm issuing the report was immediately ambushed by the iPad army… those are shipments, not sales to end users, it cried. Of course Strategy Analytics, the firm behind the report, was indeed comparing apples to apples, of course, using Android tablet shipments as well as iPad shipments in its report. More →

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Tablets
January 27, 2011
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Samsung Galaxy Tab sales surpass 2 million units, report claims

By on January 27, 2011 at 4:00 PM.

Samsung Galaxy Tab sales surpass 2 million units, report claims

According to a report from Korean news agency Yonap, Samsung on Wednesday confirmed that sales of its Galaxy Tab Android -powered tablet have passed the 2 million mark. Samsung announced that Galaxy Tab sales had surpassed 1 million units early last month, and now this new milestone comes after roughly three months of availability. The Galaxy Tab is Samsung’s first Android tablet, and the device has been popular in the U.S. — having been launched by all four major cellular carriers — and in other key markets around the world. The report states that Samsung’s tablet is available in 94 countries from 200 different wireless carriers. The Tab’s top three regions are Europe, North America and Asia, where Samsung has sold 500,000 units, 350,000 units and 330,000 units respectively. Samsung is expected to unveil the second-generation Galaxy Tab next month at Mobile World Congress. More →

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mobile
January 25, 2011
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T-Mobile’s G-Slate, Streak 7 and Galaxy S 4G get rumored release dates

By on January 25, 2011 at 9:24 PM.

T-Mobile’s G-Slate, Streak 7 and Galaxy S 4G get rumored release dates

According to supposed internal T-Mobile documents, details surrounding the release of three upcoming devices may have just been revealed. The information, while unconfirmed, lines up well with previous rumors in several instances. First up, the Dell Streak 7 will supposedly launch on February 2nd for $299.99 with a two-year contract. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, the Dell Streak 7 features Android 2.2, a 7-inch WVGA display and a dual-core Tegra 2 processor. Next, the document states that the Samsung Galaxy 4G smartphone will launch on February 23rd, featuring Android 2.2, a Super-AMOLED display and “4G” HSPA+ connectivity. Finally, the 4G-enabled, Honeycomb-packing LG G-Slate is said to be launching on March 23rd. Hit the break for an additional slide. More →

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