If there is any tablet in the market which could truly challenge Apple’s iPad then it is Motorola Xoom. On paper it is more powerful than iPad and with the latest version of Android OS (Honeycomb), Motorola Xoom can threat Apple’s iPad.
Pros:
- Very powerful hardware (dual core processor and 1 GB RAM)
- Android 3.0 OS aka Honeycomb
- Adobe Flash Player
- 720p recording
- 4G capability
Cons:
- Bulkier than iPad 2
- Very expense
- Difficult to use for those who are new to Android OS
- Motorola Dock for HD speakers required for HDMI support and it costs an addition $129
- No 1080p video recording
- Limited number of Motorola Xoom customized apps
When we look at the specs of Motorola Xoom, it looks amazingly powerful with a dual core processor, 1GB RAM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, expansion slot to increase your tablet’s storage capacity, two high performance cameras and most important of all the “tablet optimized version of Android OS”.
Display
Motorola Xoom has a 10.1-inch screen compared to the 9.8-inch screen of iPad 2. The screen resolution on Motorola Xoom is 1280×800 pixels with a WXGA aspect ratio. Motorola Xoom has 150 pixels per inch or ppi, this makes it perfect for both images and text with smooth edges. The wide screen on Motorola Xoom makes it a landscape view tablet by default; normally tablets are designed to work in portrait view. The blaze of the screen in only .5 inch thick which means that you will have less thumb space to hold the tablet. Motorola Xoom has built in ambient sensor which adjusts the screen brightness according to lighting conditions. However, Motorola Xoom’s screen is not as bright as iPad 2’s screen; in fact you will struggle to view anything on it outdoor.
Touch-screen performance
Motorola Xoom has one of the best touch screen ever made for tablets, it is very responsive and accurate with multi-touch support. The best position for typing while hold the Motorola Xoom is in the portrait position, the distance between the keys and their space is perfect for typing.
Ports on Motorola Xoom
Motorola Xoom has the following ports.
- Micro-HDMI – allows you to mirror your work on a HD TV
- Micro-USB – allows you to connect your Motorola Xoom with a PC
- Micro-SD Card Slot (supports up to 32 GB)
- Power socket (adaptor supplied)
- Pinhole for microphone
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera performance on Motorola Xoom
Motorola Xoom has two camera; one at the front for video chat and another at the back for taking high quality pictures and recording HD videos.
Front Facing Camera
Resolution: 2 megapixel
Video chat quality is very good and picture take from this 2 megapixel camera are pretty decent for a front facing camera.
Rear Facing Camera
Resolution: 5 megapixel
Flash Support: LED Flash
The picture taken from rear facing camera are very good in the outdoor environment and the quality of indoor pictures depend on the distance between the object and LED Flash light. However the video recording at 720p is outstanding, the frame rates are steady.
Performance of Motorola Xoom
Motorola Xoom is equipped with 1 GHz dual core process and 1GB of RAM at its disposal; this makes it one of the most powerful tablet we have seen so far. The user interface remains very smooth with exceptional frame rate and there is absolutely no lag time between touch command and its response. When you browse through the internet by opening multi-tabs, the speed of the switching between tab and loading of new webpages remain unaffected. Running heavy apps do not affect the speed of the tablet and you can switch between different tasks seamlessly. On performance alone, to date no tablet in the market can match Motorola Xoom.
Operating System: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
This is the first tablet optimized version of Google’s OS “Android”, the major difference between this version and the previous versions is that it has been optimized for a larger screen and more powerful devices. Android 3.0 on Motorola Xoom is very difficult to get used to for a user new to Android, in fact even experienced user will take some time getting use to it. The Software Development Kit or SDK for Android 3.0 has been made available for developers and the number of Android 3.0 compatible apps is increasing every day.
Battery
Motorola Xoom offers a 10 hour battery time for video playback, if you convert this into internet browsing any other task, it means that you have enough battery life you last you a day with full use.
Motorola Xoom comparison with iPad 2
Motorola Xoom on paper is as powerful as iPad 2 but there is a lot of catching up to do for a number of reasons.
- Number of Apps available in the market place for iPad is a lot more than for Android 3.0
- There are more professional developers working on iPad 2 apps than on Android 3.0 Honeycomb
- Tablet specifc contents for iPad 2 outnumber Android 3.0 contents easily
- Games available on iPad 2 are more than those on Android 3.0
Motorola Xoom by no means is an iPad 2 killer but it is a serious competitor, and in future Motorola and Google could give Apple a serious run for their money.
Price of Motorola Xoom
Motorola Xoom is priced at $699 with a two year contract from Verizon and the off-contract model of Motorola Xoom costs a staggering $800. This for some makes it less attractive to purchase as you can get the new iPad 2 with 3G and Wi-Fi for this price. So on a simple price comparison alone, iPad 2 is a better option than Motorola.
Final Comments
Motorola Xoom may not be fully ready to meet iPad 2 head on but, with time the cooperation of Motorola and Google could seriously challenge Apple. Motorola Xoom is very powerful in terms of hardware and with time its software support will increase. Until then, it really depends you, do you prefer an already established tablet or a tablet which will soon be very big. The only concern is that you will have to pay just as much for Motorola Xoom and still have to wait for apps to come out.
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