Reviews of the much-anticipated Motorola Xoom tablet have started appearing with the device officially going on sale today in the US. Tech journalists have had the tablet for several days and, on the whole, it's come out as a powerful tablet contender, but expensive.
Everyone is comparing it directly with the iPad. The Xoom has a similar-size screen, 10.1", and runs Google's new Android Honeycomb operating system, which has been designed specially for tablets. It also has front and rear cameras.
The Xoom will cost $800 with no network contract in the US - iPad prices start at $499. Also, don't forget Apple is about to announce the iPad 2, which will certainly improve the current specs. The new iPad is expected to have front and rear cameras, a faster processor, better graphics chip and display and be slightly smaller and thinner.
Hit the jump to read extracts from some of the Xoom reviews:
BoyGeniusReports:
The Motorola XOOM is wrapped in high quality materials including soft-touch aluminum, Gorilla Glass and sturdy plastic, and it feels extremely solid. It’s slightly (literally a few grams) heavier than Apple’s iPad, though it feels a tad heavier because it’s a bit thicker in the middle. What’s very interesting about the XOOM, and most announced tablets that are running Google’s brand new Honeycomb OS, is that there isn’t a ton of hardware differentiation since all menu keys are now soft keys in the operating system. Motorola has definitely added some useful customizations to the XOOM, however. For example, I love phones that have LED notification lights and Motorola’s XOOM does it up in style with a little glowing notification bar. It’s a very small — maybe 1/4-inch — white strip on the top part of the right side, and it’s awesome. In addition to the notification bar, Motorola has a “privacy indicator” (read: red LED) that lights up next to the front-facing 2-megapixel camera to let you know it’s on.
Walt Mossberg:
Both Motorola’s hardware and Google’s new software are impressive and, after testing it for about a week, I believe the Xoom beats the first-generation iPad in certain respects, though it lags in others. Like the iPad, the Xoom has a roomy 10-inch screen, and it’s about the same thickness and weight as the iPad, albeit narrower and longer. And, like the iPad’s operating system, Honeycomb gives software the ability to make good use of that screen real estate, with apps that are more computer-like than those on a smartphone.
The Xoom has a more potent processor than the current iPad; front and rear cameras versus none for the iPad; better speakers; and higher screen resolution. It also can be upgraded free later this year to support Verizon’s faster 4G cellular data network (though monthly fees may rise.)
The iPad has way more tablet-specific apps—around 60,000 versus a handful—and, in my tests, much better battery life. Plus, whatever the specs say, it’s a fast device with a beautiful screen that delights people daily. But, overall, the Xoom with Honeycomb is a strong alternative to the original iPad, and one that will only improve over time.
The iPad has way more tablet-specific apps—around 60,000 versus a handful—and, in my tests, much better battery life. Plus, whatever the specs say, it’s a fast device with a beautiful screen that delights people daily. But, overall, the Xoom with Honeycomb is a strong alternative to the original iPad, and one that will only improve over time.
Bottom line: The Xoom and Honeycomb are a promising pair that should give the iPad its stiffest competition. But price will be an obstacle, and Apple isn’t standing still.
SlashGear:
Despite the absence of Flash support and the absence of 4G, there’s a lot to like about the Motorola XOOM. It’s a solid, discretely handsome slate, with strong battery life and whip-crack performance. Against it are the premium price tag and the ridiculous mandatory first-month data fee; frankly, Verizon have missed a trick by not giving buyers a free first month in the hope of getting them hooked to the convenience of 3G.
Much of the XOOM’s strength comes from Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and there’s little doubting that Google’s tablet-centric OS is the star of the show here. As we found in our full software review, it’s a convincing and polished platform, which brings a highly usable multitasking environment to the tablet marketplace, neatly distinct from the “oversized smartphone” accusations levied at previous Android slates.
Until Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and LG’s G-Slate reach shelves, the XOOM has the Honeycomb space all to itself. Still, neither Motorola nor Google can afford to rest on their respective laurels. The iPad 2 is expected to debut a mere week after the XOOM goes on sale, and considering the first-gen version is still the benchmark by which new tablets are measured, the second-gen model is only going to raise the table stakes.
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