Motorola XOOM

Software
March 18, 2011
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Flash 10.2 beta released for Android

By on March 18, 2011 at 2:45 PM.

Flash 10.2 beta released for Android

Adobe Flash support was noticeably absent from the Motorola XOOM at launch, though it was because Adobe wanted to ship Flash 10.2 as opposed to 10.1, and that’s all finally in the past. Starting today, Adobe Flash 10.2 will be available in the Android market for most Android devices — Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb. It supports dual-core CPU smartphones, increased battery life performance, and will even support full 720p Flash playback in the general availability release due “within weeks.” We have been playing with Adobe Flash 10.2 on our XOOM for about a day and we have to say, performance has been pretty stellar. That also is without full hardware acceleration including hardware rendering and compositing, which Adobe told us will come soon. Keep checking the Android Market for the latest version of Flash and let us know what kind of performance increases you’re seeing, alright?

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Retail
March 17, 2011
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Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi up for pre-order from Costco; $589.99, free case

By on March 17, 2011 at 9:28 AM.

Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi up for pre-order from Costco; $589.99, free case

Motorola announced the March 27th launch of its Wi-Fi-only XOOM on Wednesday, and now Costco has made the tablet available for pre-order. While Costco quotes a ship date five days later than Motorola’s — April 1st as opposed to March 27th — the wait will award buyers free shipping, a discounted price and a free gel case. Granted, the discount is only $10, but tack on the free shipping and that snazzy gel case, and you’ve got yourself a solid deal. We reviewed the Motorola XOOM in February and said it packs a serious punch. Included with that punch is Google’s Android 3.0 Gingerbread OS, a dual-core 1GHz processor, 32GB of storage and a 10.1-inch HD display. More →

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Tablets
March 11, 2011
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Motorola XOOM sales not very impressive, analyst claims

By on March 11, 2011 at 4:30 PM.

Motorola XOOM sales not very impressive, analyst claims

In a note to investors on Friday morning, an analyst from investment firm Morgan Keegan & Company claimed in-store sales of Motorola’s XOOM tablet are crawling. Morgan Keegan analysts reportedly spoke with roughly 80 Verizon Wireless retail locations, and the tablet is selling at a rate of two units per day on average in each location. While this purported sell-through rate is less than impressive, the firm notes that at its current pace, the XOOM would reach sales estimates of 300,000 units in the quarter. We reviewed the Motorola XOOM tablet last month and said it packed a serious punch. We also said there is plenty of room for improvement with Google’s Honeycomb operating system, however, and that it lacks innovation in its current state. More →

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Software
March 11, 2011
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Adobe Flash Player 10.2 for Android landing March 18

By on March 11, 2011 at 1:46 PM.

Adobe Flash Player 10.2 for Android landing March 18

Adobe has announced that it will release Flash Player 10.2 for Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) devices, as well as a beta version for Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb tablets, on March 18th. The release will provide performance improvements and take advantage of the dual-core and GPU-enabled processors in phones such as the Motorola ATRIX 4G and LG Optimus 2X. The addition of a new soft-keyboard should make it easier for developers to optimize desktop apps for use on full-touchscreen smartphones and tablets, too. Adobe worked closely with Google on the new Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb update to add support for hardware accelerated, HD, H.264 video content using the Stage Video rendering pipeline. On Honeycomb tablets, Flash Player 10.2 will also offer improved webpage scrolling, and better support for websites that implement HTML content on top of Flash Player content. Unfortunately, these features won’t be supported on Android 2.2 (Froyo) or Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) just yet, however.

More →

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Tablets
March 11, 2011
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82% of future tablet buyers will buy Apple’s iPad, survey suggests

By on March 11, 2011 at 10:31 AM.

82% of future tablet buyers will buy Apple’s iPad, survey suggests

According to an independent survey conducted by market research firm ChangeWave, Apple’s iPad still has no real competition in the eyes of consumers. ChangeWave released the results of its survey on Thursday, revealing that 82% of respondents planned to purchase the iPad instead of a competitive offering such as the Motorola XOOM, BlackBerry PlayBook or Samsung Galaxy Tab. The firm surveyed 3,091 consumers in the month of February — before the iPad 2 was announced and, for the most part, before the XOOM was available for consumers to try — and 27% said they planned to purchase a tablet in the future. Of those 835 people, a whopping 82% said they would be buying the Apple iPad. The Motorola XOOM found itself in the sights of 4% of the group and the BlackBerry PlayBook and Samsung Galaxy Tab each took 3% shares of ChangeWave’s sample. The remaining 8% intended to purchase a tablet other than the four devices named in the survey. More →

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Tablets
February 28, 2011
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Motorola CEO says 7-inch tablet due this year, again

By on February 28, 2011 at 5:50 PM.

Motorola CEO says 7-inch tablet due this year, again

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco on Monday, Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha repeated the company’s plans to issue a tablet with a 7-inch form factor this year. Jha’s new claim mirrors remarks he made to the same effect during a keynote speech at the Credit Suisse 2010 Technology Conference late last year. The CEO said earlier that both 7 and 10-inch form factors will be “quite meaningful” to the company’s tablet business. Jha’s repeat mention of the coming smaller tablet has tech blogs buzzing just as it did the first time around, as the company has yet to name any specific tablet devices beyond the newly launched Motorola XOOM. Jha also noted during his talk that all of Motorola’s high-end smartphones will include compatibility with laptop dock accessories beginning later this year.

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Tablets
February 28, 2011
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Motorola XOOM overclocked to 1.5GHz; shreds benchmarks

By on February 28, 2011 at 10:31 AM.

Motorola XOOM overclocked to 1.5GHz; shreds benchmarks

So you’ve gone ahead and purchased a Motorola XOOM for a cool $800. You’ve been politely pawing at it for the last few days, playing by its rules, running at — or under — its manufacturer-designated speed limit. Now what? You overclock that bad boy’s processor… that’s what. XDA forum member coolbho300 has managed to tweak the XOOM’s kernel to get both Cortex-A9 cores running at a benchmark-shredding 1.5GHz. “I have successfully brought the Tegra 2 in the XOOM to 1.5GHz,” writes coolbho300 in a forum post. “A few kernel modifications make the dual core chip in the XOOM even more powerful than the recently announced Tegra 2 3D. 1.5GHz through two Cortex A9 cores is truly a force to be reckoned with.” We’re not going to argue with that assessment. As you can see from the above image, the device’s performance in benchmark tests is quite impressive (especially when compared to a lowly smartphone). You can hit up XDA to check out the tutorial on how to bring your XOOM up to warp speed… but do be careful. More →

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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.

More →

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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 17, 2011
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Motorola CEO defends XOOM tablet’s $800 price tag

By on February 17, 2011 at 3:50 PM.

Motorola CEO defends XOOM tablet’s $800 price tag

At Mobile World Congress on Wednesday, Motorola Mobility chief executive Sanjay Jha came to the defense of the company’s decision to price its first Android tablet at $800. The Motorola XOOM will be a flagship Android tablet when it launches in the near future, and Motorola has slapped on a flagship price tag. With 3G connectivity, the 32GB XOOM will be $70 more expensive than an Apple iPad with the same amount of storage. “We felt that our ability to deliver 50Mbps would justify the $799 price point,” Jha told reporters at Mobile World Congress. “It is 32GB with 3G and a free upgrade to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is important. We feel that from the hardware and capabilities we deliver, we are at least competitive and in a number of ways better.” Of note, the 3G XOOM will reportedly also require users to purchase at least one month of cellular data service in order to unlock Wi-Fi connectivity — ostensibly adding another $30 onto the price of the XOOM and making it a full $100 more expensive than the comparable iPad model. The Wi-Fi-only XOOM will be priced in line with the comparable iPad model at $600. 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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mobile
January 27, 2011
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Motorola ATRIX 4G and XOOM tablet to launch next month

By on January 27, 2011 at 11:20 PM.

Motorola ATRIX 4G and XOOM tablet to launch next month

Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha confirmed on the cell phone maker’s fourth-quarter earnings call that two of Motorola’s highly anticipated upcoming devices will launch next month. AT&T’s upcoming convertible superphone, the Motorola ATRIX 4G, and Verizon Wireless’ monster tablet, the Motorola XOOM, both look set for a launch at the end of February. The ATRIX 4G features a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, a 4.3-inch 540 x 960-pixel display and an option laptop dock that converts the device into a full-size smartbook. The XOOM is a Honeycomb tablet that sports a 10-1 inch display, full HD support and the same dual-core Tegra 2 processor as the ATRIX. Jha seemed more secure in the ATRIX 4G’s launch timeframe during the question and answer session at the end of the call, saying that the XOOM might be pushed back slightly to March. But Jha also reaffirmed that the 4G LTE-enabled Motorola DROID BIONIC and the LTE hardware upgrade for the Motorola XOOM are both on track to launch at the end of the second quarter. More →

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Tablets
January 24, 2011
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Motorola XOOM may launch February 17th for $699.99 from Best Buy

By on January 24, 2011 at 1:17 PM.

Motorola XOOM may launch February 17th for $699.99 from Best Buy

According to a new report, retail giant Best Buy is set to launch Motorola’s highly anticipated XOOM tablet on February 17th for $699.99. A price tag of $699.99 would position the XOOM in line with Apple’s 64GB iPad tablet, and make it $100 more expensive than Apple’s 32GB iPad. Motorola stated that the XOOM tablet will launch with 32GB of onboard storage, expandable to up to 64GB. BGR previewed the Motorola XOOM at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and we were quite impressed. The Android 3.0 Honeycomb-powered tablet features a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800-pixel touchscreen display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1080p full HD video playback, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat and a mobile hotspot function. The XOOM will launch with Wi-Fi and support for Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, with 4G LTE support coming to existing devices in the second quarter thanks to a hardware upgrade. Hit the break for a purported shot of Best Buy’s Employee Toolkit, which shows an in-stock date of February 16th and helps corroborate this rumor. More →

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