Android Tablet PC – Motorola Xoom Review

Monday, September 5th, 2011 at 11:21 am

The Motorola Xoom tablet was one of the original Android tablets to hit the market, and is still a strong seller in spite of the new competition from tablets like the Samsung Galaxy, Dell Streak, etc. There are a number of benefits with this tablet which really put it in competition with the iPad 2. Our review of its good and bad points should help you decide whether the Motorola Xoom is the right tablet PC for you.

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Motorola Xoom: Key Specs

Price: $588 – $799
Released: 2011
OS: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Size: 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
Weight: 1.61 lb. / 0.73 kg
Screen size: 10.1 HD screen
Resolutions: 1280 x 800
Storage space: 32 GB
Processor: NVidia Tegra 2 Dual 1 GHz
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connection as standard – 3G/ 4G model also available
Cameras: 5MP & 2MP
Battery life: 10 hours

Good points about the Motorola Xoom:

Processor: The included Tegra 2 Dual core processor is one of the quickest processors currently on the market in regards to tablets. There’s no processor out there currently that can match this for speed.

Connectivity: The Xoom offers a choice of connection options. You can either get the Wi-Fi only version, which will connect to the internet at any wireless hotspot (including at home of course, if you have wireless installed for your regular internet connection.) This version costs around $600. Alternatively you can buy the upgraded 3G/4G version, which comes in at around $800. This option will allow you to connect to the internet no matter where you are. You will need to buy a mobile data plan with this option though – currently the only provider is Verizon.

It’s important to be aware that 4G isn’t yet available from the factory, but will be added in the coming months courtesy of a free upgrade. 4G is not yet featured on many tablets, so this is a real bonus for the xoom. 4G gives a greater mobile connection speed and reliability, meaning you can download large files, movies, music etc, much more quickly than at present. Verizon is advertising speeds of 5-12mb/second – comparable with many home broadband connections.

(Note: the 4G network is currently available to about a third of the US, but is widening constantly.)

Motorola Accessories: While there aren’t as many accessories for the Xoom as for the iPad, there are still a number of useful items which can increase the power of your tablet PC. Some worth noting include the speaker dock, and base charging stations. The dock is capable of sending content from your tablet to your TV. There are a number of branded Motorola cases available, although most tablet PCs of this size can use a wide variety of generic case.

Camera: With two cameras on board, the Xoom has a very impressive 5mp camera on the rear, great for capturing photo and videos, and includes a duel-LED flash, auto-focus feature, and digital zoom. The Xoom comes with two cameras.

The front camera at 2mp is perfectly adequate for video chat.

Flash Support: A major advantage over the iPad, the Motorola Xoom supports Flash in web browsers perfectly. So you can watch Flash movies and components of websites. And of course if you love browser games such as Farmville or Sims Social, this tablet will let you play to your heart’s content.

Battery: At 10 hours, the advertised battery life is quite impressive and will keep you going for a long time. Obviously if you’re watching movies or playing a lot of games then it will drain away more quickly. Another advantage is that the tablet recharges quite quickly. This gives the Xoom a lot of portability.

Micro-SD Card Slot: The Xoom doesn’t have any expanded storage versions, and can’t be expanded beyond the default 32mg storage. However, if you do want some extra space, you can alsys use the micro-SD slot for up to an additional 32mb. At a total potential of 64mb, that matches the top-end iPad.

Ports: The Xoom also beats the iPad in terms of ports. It includes a micro-USB post and an HDMI port to allow you to connect to a HD TV via cable.

Motorola Xoom: Bad Points

Price: The cost of this tablet may be beyond some budgets. Even the cheapest WiFi option is still nearly $600 – quite a significant amount in comparison with other tablet PCs. However, if you go for the 3G/4G version on a Verizon contract, you can save $200 off the list price and you will get rhe 4G on upgrade – a functionality that very few other tablets have.

Weight: The Xoom does weigh more than other big-name tablets, and you will notice this in terms of ease of use, comfort when typing, and carrying it around with you. The screen is thicker than the iPad 2, but not noticeably so. The tablet does have a good solid feel.

User experience: It really depends on what you’re used to, on whether this is a pro or a con. If you’re used to the iPhone and Mac, then you might find that the Android Honeycomb OS is a bit difficult to get your head round. On the other hand if you have an Android phone, the user experience will be very similar.

In terms of apps, while there is nowhere near the sheer volume of apps in the App Store, the Android market still has thousands of games and applications which you can add to your tablet.

Charging: It seems rather silly that the micro-USB port can’t be used for charging the tablet; instead a separate charger must be used. Apparently this is down to the strength of charge required, and does mean that the tablet charges much more quickly than others which can only use micro-USB.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the 4G integration on a tablet PC, the Xoom has to be the top choice (possibly to be unseated when Samsung release the 3G version of the Galaxy Tab.) The Xoom has some excellent features, it looks stylish and performs like a dream. You really cannot go wrong choosing the Motorola Xoom as your tablet PC.