When Samsung released the Galaxy Tab a few months ago, many were saying it was the first real iPad competitor. Well move aside Samsung because the Motorola Xoom is here.
Due sometime in the first quarter of 2011, the Xoom will be the first tablet to hit the market running Google’s new Android 3.0 HoneyComb operating system. This new version of Android, built from the ground up, is designed specifically for tablet devices.
Put an iPad next to a Xoom and you immediately see the differences. With a 10-inch 1280×800 16:10 display, it offers more screen real estate than its Apple competitor and can play movies in HD. It has two cameras, one in front which you can use with Google Talk for videoconferencing and one in the back for shooting. The battery life is in the same range as the iPad, about 10 hours.
The Xoom will be released on Verizon’s 3G network in the US but wil be “capable of being upgraded to 4G,” though there’s no exact date or pricing just yet. It will be interesting to see how this tablet will do in european markets if and when it is released.
As good as this device looks, we shouldn’t judge too soon (remember all those tablets at last year’s CES). In order for this device to not fall into the category of “Hey! Do you remember that thing?”, developers will need to get on board and create awesome apps for it. That’s were the real potential of the Motorola Xoom lies.
