Motorola Xoom

by null

Motorola

MSRP: $600.00

Typical Price: $320.90

Overview

CNET Editors' Rating: 0.0 / 5

Design, Features & Performance (out of 10)

Review

Basic Specs

User Reviews

Average User Rating: 0.0 / 5

User Rating Breakdown

5 Star: 88

4 Star: 31

3 Star: 14

2 Star: 7

1 Star: 22

Xoom Meets Expectations & Promises More In Short While!

Rating: 5 / 5

on March 2, 2011

33 out of 40 users found this review helpful

Pros: + Tegra2 DualCore processor make it very fast
+ 10.1 HD screen beautiful videos and pictures
+ Can hook Xoom up to a TV
+ Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" is amazing
+ Made from Gorilla Glass - no neeeding screen protector

Cons: - Volume rocker is too flush with the Xoom
- Speakers are good, not great

Summary: I have been following the Motorola Xoom ever since it was codenamed "stingray," so when a date was announced for when I would be able to pick up this beauty of a tablet, I couldn't wait. I won't talk about the Verizon service (which as it stands right now does not compare to my T-Mobile speeds) all I will talk about is the hardware.

I've owned two iPads, and the Xoom is head and shoulders above it. First thing's first: it has a Tegra2 DualCore processor which means this thing is blazing fast. The 10.1 HD screen means beautiful videos and pictures. The micro-HDMI out plug means you can hook your Xoom up to a TV. Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" is amazing (though don't kid yourself, even hardcore Android users will have an adapting period in terms of navigating the device and carrying out tasks)

I bought this for 799.99 off-contract, but you can purchase it for 599.99 at Verizon Wireless, with a 2-year contract. Also, (rumored in May) you will be able to send in your Xoom to receive a free hardware upgrade to 4g. You won't pay anything at all, and Verizon has stated you won't have to change your plan in order to access the 4g speeds (assuming your city is LTE-enabled).

Flash 10.2 will be available in a few short weeks as will support for microSD cards, so don't let that keep you from purchasing the Xoom.

Also, you cannot charge this via USB like you would with your phone. This isn't because Motorola wants to sell you another charger, but rather the max amount of voltage that a USB puts out and how much a micro-USB port can handle. A Xoom will go from 0 to 100 percent battery life in about 3 hours, and that's incredible when you think about the batteries inside (Two 3250 mAH batteries, though it reads as one)

The Xoom's screen is made from Gorilla Glass which means you won't be neeeding a screen protector anytime soon (unless you don't like a glassy feel). I've always been paranoid about my phones and other electronics with screens and thus have always put a screen protector on them. Having said that, I HAVE NOT put one on the Xoom, because Gorilla Glass is THAT good.

Now for the negatives:

The volume rocker is too flush with the Xoom, and thus it can be incredibly hard to push the buttons sometimes. You'll have your finger on the volume up or down button and swear you're pressing it, but you're not pressing it in the right spot.

The speakers are good, not great.


All in all, I give the Xoom 5 stars. Sure I could knock off a star for the volume rocker or the lack of flash and microSD card support on launch, but the fact is that the latter two will be fixed with a software update, and the volume rocker you learn to live with.

A lot of people will complain about price and how the iPad is only 500. What you have to remember is that when you take a comparable iPad model the Xoom is only 70.00 more expensive, and with that 70.00 you get more RAM, a faster processor, bigger screen, microSD support (via software update) thus enabling your storage up to 64GB, Flash (again via software update), and an operating system designed for a tablet.

If you don't feel like spending the money, a wi-fi only tablet will be out at some point for 599.99. What's nice about the wi-fi model is that the only thing different from the Verizon model, is the 3g/4g, as opposed to the iPad which takes out the GPS as well if you only buy the wi-fi version.

*** P.S. If you will buy this Motorola Xoom I suggest you at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NNVHUC?ie=UTF8&tag=***************&********=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&************=B004NNVHUC

Absolute best high end tablet on the market

Rating: 5 / 5

on February 24, 2011

18 out of 24 users found this review helpful

Pros: Android 3.0
Dual Core Processor
1gb ram
tabbed browser
upgradeable memory
8.5 hours battery!
HDMI mirroring (connect to your TV like a laptop)
visually stunning
widescreen for true HD videos
software menu buttons to hold the tablet any way you'd like

Cons: Cannot replace the battery
Expensive like the iPad, but very worth it
The ability to add a SD card for upgradeable storage is on hold currently, but will be unlocked soon
It is hard to find right now, all 3 best buy's in my area were sold out

Summary: There is a ton of misinformation going around, including in the official cnet reviewer's video.. I just picked one up today, and I can fix many of these misconceptions

#1 the xoom CAN do video out through HDMI with NO accessories (dock or otherwise) necessary, and it CAN mirror, just like you would expect hooking up your laptop to your PC, view motorola's youtube video demonstrating this awesome feature ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKcrCFFoIko )

#2 the xoom CAN do flash RIGHT NOW with flash 10.1 available via side loading the app aka, a download of flash player outside of the android market, flash 10.2 is OPTIMIZED for the tegra 2 in this xoom and will be out in the next few weeks, until then 10.1 will serve your flash needs, or skyfire, a browser available via the android market (which IS optimized for android 3.0 btw)

#3 this device will NOT have to be sent in for the upgrade to 4G, verizon stores will be able to upgrade it in person via a walk-in to any verizon store once it becomes available in the next few weeks

#4 like the iPad, there are not very many THIRD PARTY apps that are utilizing the xooms massive screen resolution today at launch, but like the iPad these apps are being updated daily to fully utilize all of this extra screen real estate, the developer code was just released days ago, give it at least a few more days until you start seeing developers update all of their apps to take advantage of the xoom, until then the 100,000+ current android apps work as you would expect

#5 You do NOT need to purchase ANY months of verizon service to activate wifi, there was a misprint by bestbuy a few weeks ago stating this, it has since been corrected and there is no instance where any best buy required you to buy at least one month of verizon service when buying the xoom without a contract (it would be against the law if they did, that is why it is an unsubsidized price)

#6 there is little to no lag at all on the xoom, many people fired up their xoom, logged into their google account, and while their tablet was doing the intial google syncing the tablet has slowdown, as expected, it was doing an initial sync of the mass information like contacts, emails, and calendar events, but after that one time sync is finished, the tablet is unbelievably smooth considering the tons of things it can do at once

#7 this is a google experience device and will be treated like the nexus one and nexus S in how updates are delivered.. one those two cell phones, when google announced a new version of android those phones get it almost immediately, usually the same day or a couple days afterwards, for this stock android 3.0 updates will be delivered immediately when google announces them, such as the ability to add an SD card to upgrade the storage will be a software update soon

The browser is absolutely incredible, if you have used Google Chrome on your computer, it is identical and makes surfing the net a breeze!

Your best bet is to go to bestbuy or verizon and check the xoom out in person.. I walked in just to see what it was about, and I ended up calling all around the portland area to buy one, verizon stores have them but bestbuy's seem to all be sold out.. this thing replaced my laptop!

Great Performance, Intuitive, Multitaskers Dreams

Rating: 4.5 / 5

on February 24, 2011

10 out of 10 users found this review helpful

Pros: light, fast, easier to hold than an ipad, home screen layout, widgets, battery life, sound quality, video quality, usb, and hdmi. It is a great Tablet, I couldn't be more pleased.

Cons: Have to wait on flash, memory card, and honeycomb specific apps, but it is worth it to have the chance to use honeycomb - it isn't often you get use something new and different. There is no native messaging app with honeycomb as there was with Froyo.

Summary: My wife has a samsung galaxy tab and my son has an ipad so I am quite familiar with tablets, i like both of those tablets for different reasons and considered a lot of different tablets before i pulled the trigger and bought a xoom. bottom line for me is the multitasking and video. if the ipad could really multitask and not just stop and start apps i would feel differently due to app availability. But the only thing you can truly multi-task on the ipad is music. you can't watch a movie and check your email without having the movie app log you out. I guess i have adult onset ADD, but i have to do two things at one time. And on the ipad i feel like i am in the stone ages of computing. I like the tablet, but i am frustrated using it. Honeycomb is not frustrating it is fun, zippy built the way you work. Now iOS 5 may be revolutionary in terms of multitasking, but i doubt it it just doesn't seem like apple is headed in the same direction android is headed. Time will tell. I hope that the competition remains stiff between the two so that we continue to get great innovation.

Missing features and price issue

Rating: 4 / 5

on February 24, 2011

9 out of 9 users found this review helpful

Pros: I bought my Xoom on the launch day at BestBuy, who will sell it at $799 with no 3G activation required. The model from BestBuy which says VerizonWireless on it does not require activation to set up the wifi, which works right out of the box.

Cons: In addition to the 4G issue which may require a hard (and not software) fix and the delay on Adobe Flash, potential buyers may be interested in the fact that the data slot takes a micro SD card but is not yet activated and awaits a software download.

Summary: Better hardware than current iPad - two cameras, stereo speakers, HDMI connection and micro SD slot allowing (after software is available) adding 16GB or 32BG card. Android 3.0 very nice feature. Downside is apps not so many right now although the basics are there - maps, email, browser, musc, video. Another obvious downside is if you want to use the Xoom just for wifi, you have to pay $200 extra for the unused 3G feature until the wifi only version goes on sale. Dumb marketing especially with iPad 2 being announced in a week.

Absolutely THE Best Tablet On The Market! AMAZING!!!

Rating: 5 / 5

on February 24, 2011

7 out of 8 users found this review helpful

Pros: Android Honeycomb is hands down the best mobile OS avaialable! Excellent build quality and craftsmanship. The Xoom is the perfect size for enjoying media and being able to hold for extended periods. Battery life that rivals the ipad. Best tablet out!

Cons: Movies and music. The apps so far are better than their counterparts on the ipad. However, for the mainstream consumer, there is no 'easy' way of getting music & movies onto the device... They need to be sold via Android Market.

Summary: Last summer, I switched from an iPhone 3GS to an HTC Evo. And once again, I find that Android provides a MUCH more enjoyable experience than iOS! The difference in this case is night and day.

First of all is the form factor. Apple set the standard, but the Xoom is decidedly more sexy. It is also better suited to viewing video, listening to music/podcasts, and browsing the web... with a better screen display and layout for accomplishing all 3 of those tasks.

Speaking of layout, the design of Honeycomb is just brilliant. If you're used to using a computer than a lot of the functionality built into the design just seems to make sense... Honestly, it's the kind of innovation I would have expected from Apple!!! And Apple's decision to use their phone OS on a tablet almost makes the iPad feel more like a toy now, whereas this feels more like a legitimate tool (and threat to laptops). Indeed, if you already have a desktop pc, or you only use your computer for browsing the internet and entertainment... it makes more sense to own a Xoom than a laptop in many regards. While it does cost more, there is a HUGE difference in portability and the battery life is better any laptop I've ever used... not to mention the unique apps.

There are only a few tablet apps at the moment, but Android developers seem to turn out good apps at a quick pace as it is (there's always something new and useful to find each month on my phone). Still, this is the one area where Android is likely to lag behind Apple. ALL mobile developers develop for Apple b/c of their large following... and the Android is just now starting to get the kind of love from developers that Apple has enjoyed for years now. But with Apple becoming increasingly more strict, and stingy, developers are really beginning to embrace Android development. Truthfully, in my one year with Android... I have not missed the apps on my iPhone at all.

For every app on the iPhone, there is one comparable or better for Android. It is also worth noting that apps for Honeycomb feel noticeably more polished than their counterparts on the iPad. The Honeycomb CNN, Youtube, Gmail/Email, Calendar, Maps, & Web Browser crush what is available on the iPad!!! Very noticeable improvements.

So the one area where Android Market really trails behind iTunes is when it comes to movies and music. Music is not such a big deal b/c it is so easy to find mp3's on the web, with Amazon being just as strong a source as iTunes when it comes to music. But it is tougher to find movies (and podcasts) without using some 3rd party apps (which again ARE available on Android Market). This is a big deal when considering the mainstream consumer who just wants to be able to pick up and play w/o having to figure things out on their own... Apple has excelled in this regard. If I were not tech savvy, I would probably give up altogether trying to find movies to put on the device... I shouldn't have to search online for mp4's in different places, or hustle to find video players that support other codecs. Not a big deal to me b/c I was already used to doing it on the computer... but the average consumer is not.

But that does lead to the number difference b/w the Xoom and the iPad. The iPad feels like nothing more than a phone with more screen real estate. That will be cool for some people, especially those in need of more simplicity. However, the Xoom feels like a pocket size computer... one that you would almost rather use than a standard desktop or laptop because the experience is just that enjoyable.

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