It is literally ALL GO at Mobile World Congress, with Motorola the latest to announce its Android tablet plans for Europe. It’s very impressive looking XOOM tablet will be arriving here from “Q2″ with both 3G and wi-fi only models set to go on sale.
The XOOM is another Android 3.0 experience, powered by a dual-core processor, with 5megapixel camera and 1280×800 screen. There’s also a front-facing 2megapixel camera, for if video chat ever takes off.
A month ago, this was the business. Now it looks pretty standard compared with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and LG Optimus Pad. Still very nice, though. But my, aren’t things moving rather quickly in the Android hardware world?
Here’s the press release.
Motorola Mobility to Bring Motorola XOOM™ to Europe
BARCELONA – Mobile World Congress 2011 – Feb. 14, 2011 – Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced Motorola XOOM™ 3G/WiFi®-enabled version as well as a WiFi-only version will be available in Europe beginning in Q2 2011. Motorola XOOM runs on Google’s Android™ 3.0 Honeycomb – the only Android operating system designed specifically for tablets – and was named “Best of Show” by CNET at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The tablet will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress this week at the Motorola booth in Hall 8, Booth No. 8A51.
“Motorola XOOM re-defines what the tablet experience should be. Designed from the ground up with the consumer in mind, it provides more ways to have fun, connect with friends and stay productive while on the go,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of Portfolio and Device Product Management, Motorola Mobility. “Whether surfing the Web, watching the latest hit movie, or video-chatting with friends, Motorola XOOM will delight consumers with its ease of use, speed and vivid graphics, as well as its Motorola Smart Accessories.”
In today’s fast-paced mobile device market, Motorola XOOM isn’t the next generation tablet; it’s the one after that. Thanks to its dual cameras, true multi-tasking functionality, latest Google Mobile innovations, 1GHz dual-core processor and 10.1-inch (25.65 cm) widescreen HD display, the Motorola XOOM provides users with diverse content-consumption capabilities.
Motorola XOOM Features
Motorola XOOM delivers a new type of mobile computing experience, including: a widescreen HD display with 1280×800 resolution to support HD video and with HDMI out; a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for 720p video capture and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats; and a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting.
A dual-core processor with each core running at 1GHz offers an optimal experience for Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The Honeycomb user experience improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization, and also features the latest Google Mobile innovations such as Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction. Video and other rich web content plays seamlessly with Adobe® Flash® Player.
Motorola XOOM supports up to 10 hours of video playback, and charges in half the time of competitive tablets on the market.
Motorola Smart Accessories
A Standard Dock for watching video content or listening to music through external speakers as the device charges
A Speaker HD Dock for sending HD content directly to a TV or clearly listening to music through two built-in speakers – eliminating the need to attach external speakers
A custom keyboard with Bluetooth® wireless technology and special Android shortcut keys
Please visit the Motorola MWC 2011 press kit for additional information www.motorola.com/mediacenter/mwc2011
The Panasonic Eluga marks the company’s return to the European mobile phone scene years after several years of absence, and it’s come back to us with a moderately high-spec Android model that features a rather stylish, slim case.
The HTC One V is HTC’s third entry in its high-profile new HTC One range, offering a smaller 3.7″ display running on a single-core 1GHz processor. It is is very much the “affordable” option in HTC’s newest Android series, but…
The HTC One S is the piggy in the middle of HTC’s 2012 line-up, offering a 4.3″ AMOLED display inside a very slim and stylish aluminium chassis. The end result is a phone that’s very, very slim and stylish.
HTC’s new quad-core monster, the 4.7″ flagship for 2012 that introduces the Tegra 3 processor to mobile phones, updates HTC’s range to Android 4.0 and brings us the supposedly streamlined version 4.0 of HTC’s Sense user interface.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
TurboHobbit
/ February 14, 2011All very nice, but at what cost? Over the last 24 hours or so we’ve seen the Xoom, the LG Optimus Pad, and the Galaxy Tab 10 all released with due dates somewhere between March and June and all touted as potential iPad killers. One of the reasons people are willing to pay through the nose for an iPad is because Apple has made them desirable partly through good design and partly through very clever marketing. All these Android pads are as good technically as the iPad (and hopefully the iPad 2) but as they’re all trying to grab the same market share – i.e. being not-an-ipad – and without the perceived coolness factor that inevitably comes with iProducts they’re going to have to look for a new USP. That, I think, must be price. I mean, really, who’s going to shell out £600 on a piece of kit that most folks will either not recognise or think is a “fake iPad”. Sad but true.
So c’mon Moto, LG, and Samsung, do the right thing by the customers and you may just reap exponential returns…
James
/ February 14, 2011With the Xoom being touted for $800 in the US, who would be able to afford the relatively higher European prices?
TurboHobbit
/ February 14, 2011$800 is £510 give or take. That’s a 32Gb WiFi-only iPad (the cheapest WiFi + 3G iPad is the 16Gb flavour, at an eye-watering £541). If $800 is for the WiFi + 3G version then ok, but if its for the WiFi-only model then Jobbie et al will be laughing their behinds off.
Dave P
/ February 14, 2011Couldn’t agree more re. pricing. I’m strictly anti-Apple on principle – but at some of the prices being touted around I’d be prepared to sod the principles and get an iPad.
Having said that I can’t believe some of the prices are accurate. Motorola, LG, Samsung etc. aren’t that stupid….are they?
James
/ February 15, 2011TurboHobbit, I’ve never seen tech sold in the UK at the basic converted US price. There’s always a mark-up. I’m betting it will be between £600 and £700. Stupid money.
TurboHobbit
/ February 15, 2011In that case, even worse.