Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition announced

After all the leaks and rumors the Xoom 2 £390.00 is finally official. And it's bringing along a friend the Xoom 2 Media Edition £358.80.Both  set to hit shelves in the UK and Ireland in mid November.  I'm wondering if the specs on these devices will be enough to make original Xoom owners want to upgrade.  And it seems that Motorola learned a bit from the high pricing of the original Xoom when you do the conversion these both come out to be significant cheaper that the Xoom was last year at launch.

Xoom 2
Processor: 1.2GHz dual core
OS: Android 3.2  Honeycomb
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB storage
Display: 10.1 inch HD display
Camera: 1.3MP fron and 5MP rear
Battery: 10+ hours web usage 1 month standby
Dimensions: 253.9 x 173.6 x 8.8 mm
Weight: 599 grams

Xoom 2 Media Edition
Processor: 1.2Ghz dual core
OS: Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Memory: 1GB RAM 16GB storage
Display: 8.2 inch HD display
Camera: 1.3MP front and 5MP rear
Battery: 6+ hours web use 3 days of music playback
Dimensions: 139 x 216 x 8.99 mm
Weight: 386 grams

Xoom 2 and other devices leaked by motorola.

Xoom 2

It's a constant truth of technology, it moves fast. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise to me that the Xoom 2 may be in the works while I'm still considering purchasing the original. Or that a new Nexus device is rumored to drop later this year. Right when i'm ready to settle for a G2x to replace my Nexus One.

Earlier this month Motorola 'inadvertently' leaked images of a number of it's future devices from it's mobility site redesign. Pocketnow.com was quick on the gun and able to grab some screen shots.  Among them the Slimeline and Zaha handsets, a watch phone named the Tracy XL, the Motorola Xoom 2, the Motorola Pearl and the LTE enabled Motorola Targa. 

Motorola Slimline

Motorola Zaha

Motorola Tracy XL

I can't help but wonder how the Tracy XL will compare to the android powered watch that we talked about last week. I even included a Dick Tracy joke back in that post. Check it out. 

[via pocketnow.com]

Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 gets it's first commercial

The commercial takes a few jabs at the iPad while showcasing it's features and strong points. It's time to Tab



[via youtube]

Pricing for LG G-Slate announced by Tmoible

T-mobile has finally released the pricing for it's Android 3.0 Honeycomb powered tablet.  The price marks leaves me a bit disappointed, something being echoed by others. Other android tablets that are comparably a small step down are going for $199 (Dell Streak 7)  

Press Release:T-Mobile G-Slate with Google by LG
Powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the G-Slate delivers a premium mobile entertainment experience with a brilliant 8.9-inch, 3D-capable, multitouch HD display and the ability to record 3D and full HD video. With the new G-Slate, customers can access their favorite TV shows, magazines, games and more with pre-installed applications such as T-Mobile TV, Need for Speed SHIFT HD and Zinio eReader. The T-Mobile G-Slate will cost $529.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate card with a qualifying mobile broadband plan on two-year agreement, voice line and enrollment in EasyPay.

At $529.99 after $100 rebate and a two year contract will the G-Slate be on your shopping list?

Motorola XooM minisite is live, $800 at launch on Feb 24th

In case you missed it the Motorola Xoom promo played during the Super Bowl this past Sunday.
The commercial clearly aims to remind the viewer of the 1984 Super Bowl ad which is arguably one of the best Super Bowl ads ever.




OS: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Display: 10.1"
Weight: 730 g
Processor: NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2: 1GHz dual-core processor
Battery: Up to 10 hours video playback

• 3.5 mm 
• micro USB 2.0, 
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 
• 3G, 4G LTE upgradeable
• 720p capture/1080p playback/streaming
• 5MP rear-facing camera with dual LED flash/ 2MP front-facing camera
• 32GB internal memory SD card support after software update.  
• 1GB DDR2 RAM

Leaked BestBuy images showed the device being priced at $800 and launching on February 24th.
The heavy $800 price tag along with the data plan requirements (minimum of 1 month data subscription required to unlock Wi-Fi) could hold this device back from being the hit android tablet that it has the potential to be.  At $800 the Xoom is competing with the high-end iPad which runs $829 but leaves 5 other versions of  Apple's tablet a cheaper option. Not to mention having to compete with cheaper Android devices. Will you be purchasing one? Tell us below in the comments.

Check out the Motorola Xoom site.



Here's a quick hands on demo video of the Motorola Xoom from CES a month ago.

G-Slate Signup page is live on T-mobile.

At this point you may actually be tired of or overwhelmed by all the tablet news lately.  But for those of you who have been clamoring for a little more info on the G-Slate coming to T-mobile you can now signup to get notifications and information when it's available.  Click here to head over to the signup page. 


First Look Video at Honeycomb on the T-mobile G-Slate with Google

First look at Android 3.0 aka HoneyComb

This 'built for tablets' version of android is a totally new look and feel. And may be just what is needed to give android tablets a solid shot at going up against the iPad

Notion Ink Adam pre-orders begin today.

[image via Notionink.wordpress.com]

One of the android tablets we've been waiting for is finally taking pre-orders!
We mentioned the Notion Ink tablet in our Android tablet Roundup and it was one of the device we were most excited for.

Amongst the news coming in today is that there will be six variants that will only run $375.33, less than expected.  The more feature packed models will reach up to $549.

The variants: see notion site for individual pricing.

• LCD (wi-fi only)
• LCD + 3G -900 series,
• LCD + 3G -850 series, 
• Transflective (Wi-Fi only), 
• Transflective + 3G -900 series, 
• Transflective + 3G -850 series.

Some screen shots from Eden. Notion's version of Android.

People who participated and commented on their teaser post will receive a link for the pre-order. The link went live today at 1:30 PM EST and then at 7:30 PM EST the the pre-orders open up to everyone. If you are expecting a e-mail be sure to check your inbox.  Head over to Notionink.wordpress.com for more information. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab now available from T-mobile

T-Mobile is now the first U.S. carrier to sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab and you can buy one online now and should also be showing up in stores. They are available for $399 with a 2-year contract or $599 with no contract. The plans will run you $25 per month for 200MB of data or $40 per month for 5GB. Check out T-Mobile's site now to order one of your own. [via Tmobile]

According to reports Sprint will be next up to launch the device. As we reported all major US carriers are slated to carry the device. 

Will this tablet with the 7-inch screen make your holiday shopping list?


Be sure to cast your voice in our Best of Android Survey! 

Samsung Galaxy Tab hits T-mobile Nov. 10th.

T-mobile has announced that the Samsung Galaxy Tab  will be available Nov. 10th.
This puts T-mobile's release ahead of Verizon and Sprint. The 7" inch  tablet will run as low as $399 with a two year agreement. The announcement goes on to mention T-mobiles HSPA+ network which will go hand and hand with the device.

See our previous post and spec list of the Galaxy Tab

You can sign up for updates Here.

Samsung Tab announced for all major U.S carriers.

Last night Samsung announced that the Galaxy Tab will be carried on all major U.S carriers.  Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile.

Samsung Mobile today announced the upcoming availability of the Galaxy Tab™ in the U.S with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. The first mobile tablet from Samsung shares many of the powerful characteristics of the Galaxy S smart phone lineup that launched this summer. The Galaxy Tab is designed with several enhancements to create a unique mobile experience that other products can’t deliver.

The Galaxy Tab features a brilliant 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen, 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor supporting 3D graphics and smooth Web browsing and front and rear-facing cameras for video chat while on-the-go. The Galaxy Tab is powered by Android 2.2™, including full support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. Just like the Galaxy S smart phones, the Galaxy Tab includes Samsung’s Social Hub application and the new Media Hub content service, offering a robust collection of premium movies and TV episodes from some of the biggest entertainment companies. [via androidcentral.com]

• 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen
• 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution
• 1GHz Hummingbird processor 
• rear-facing 3 megapixel camera
• front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera
• Android 2.2
• Adobe Flash Support
• Samsung Social Hub
• Samsung Media Hub*
• weighs 13 ounces and is 12 millimeters thin.

Media Hub*
The Galaxy Tab will eventually have access to Media Hub, Samsung’s service, providing films and TV programs for rent or purchase. Some of the slated content providers are; MTV, NBC, Universal Studios and Paramount. The service will offer new release films, next day TV episodes and even full TV show seasons. "Media Hub also allows the user to expand the entertainment experience, allowing content purchased to permanently own to be shared with up to five devices that carry the Media Hub application."


http://www.samsung.com/galaxytab

New Android Tablet Prototype runs Flash very well!

[image from Zedomax]


Here is a bit of promising news for anyone considering any of the Upcoming Android Tablets. A tablet running Android OS was seen running Adobe Flash and Air apps at the Web 2.0 expo. There is little to no information on the tablet itself. And as you'll see in the video the hardware is very much in the prototype stage. The important thing about all this of course is that the tablet ran Flash and Air apps 'flawlessly' to quote Zedomax. Which is in part due to NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chipset.  Check out the video yourself and see how well Flash performs.



There's a lot of talk about whether or not Flash on tablets is a good idea considering the potential for battery drain. Not to mention memory consumption.  Though I'll say at this time that until HTML5 or some other alternative becomes a more widely used standard on the web Flash on a portable device is a must to enhance the web experience.  Let me know what you think below.  Be sure to check out our Android Tablet Roundup and head over to the Facebook Page, I'm going to try and start posting content there that most likely won't make here on the blog.

Tablets Anyone? - Android Tablet Roundup part 1

It's safe to say at this point in the game that Tablet Fever has officially struck. If you're looking for any further truth to that statement perhaps the fact that the iPad sold over 300,000 units on launch day, will suffice. Or that fact that many major manufactures are rushing to push out there own tablet iterations. HP, Sony, Dell, and Toshiba just to name a few. For many readers a tablet may be of little interest. You want a full featured high powered device. But for some of us nerds a well designed tablet is a dream gadget. Whatever side of the equation you find yourself on the android enthusiast in you will want to continue. I've put together a small list of some up and coming Android Tablets. Enjoy.

Dell Mini 5

The Dell Mini will feature a 5 inch screen. Only time will tell if there is a market for a device slightly larger than most phones but smaller than the iPad. In it's favor the Dell Mini will feature a camera and will make phone calls. For some this will seem more like a smartphone in comparison to the 9.7 inch screen packing iPad. Reports from CES have stated the device was light, smooth, responsive and comfortable. In a bit of recent news the Dell Mini aka the Dell Streak was just received FCC approval. And the FCC application give us a little hint that this Device will most likely end up on T-mobile's network. Though Dell has stated that this device will have multiple carriers. And is in fact already confirmed for AT&T. This one is expected to ship this summer.

• multitouch 5-inch LCD display
• 1GHz Snapdragon processor
• Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity.
• 5MP camera
• Ability to make Phone Calls.

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Notion Ink Adam

This one comes from the fairly new in the US; Notion Ink. And there has been a lot of talk about the Adam's promised 16-hour battery life. This device is impressive in a number of ways, one of which is it's 1080p output on it's 10 inch display. A display capable of 1024x600 resolution, something the iPad is not. And while we're mentioning it the Notion Ink Adam has HDMI and USB ports, as well as Flash support. All things that are missing on Apple's device. And if all that isn't enough the Notion's Pixel Qi screen is amazing. This is where the dual display comes into play. What we're talking about is Pixel Qi's transflective screen which can switch from backlit LCD mode to low-power "electrophoretic reflective mode", which is similar to E Ink and is easier to see in direct sunlight. It's definitely worth noting that the device eats even less battery power when in this mode. In fact it's speculated to leap to around 160 hours of battery life in this low power display mode. More on the Pixel Qi at Gizmodo.com

• 10 inch transflective LCD
• 180 degree 3MP Swivel Camera
• Dual-Core ARM® CORTEX
• -A9 MPCORE™ Processor
• Long Battery Life
• Dual Display
• Ebook Client
• 3G and WiFi Connectivity
• Multi-touch Support.
• Flash compatibility

[www.notionink.in]

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Archos 7

If you can recall the Archos 5 was found to be a bit lacking. Or may be you can't, for that reason.

The Archos 7 recently received FCC approval. This "Home tablet" features a 7 inch touch screen, is 0.5 inch thick and weights in at 0.8 lbs. Getting right down to business; the Archos 7 doesn't have the fastest processor, sporting a 600 MHz Rockchip RK2808. The draw for these devices is clearly the low price range. Coming in at around $179 and $200 for the 2GB and 8GB models respectively. This device isn't exactly a powerhouse but on the flip side of the average specs you get a device that is comparable to just about any smartphone on the market, has a 7 inch screen, runs android and it's apps and is half the price of an iPad.

• 600 MHz Rockchip processor
• 2GB or 8GB of storage
• 128MB RAM
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• 7" LCD, 800x480, resistive touchscreen
• 7 hour battery life on video playback, 44 hours on music playback.

[www.archos.com]

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[image via engadget]

ICD Gemini

This device is in place to seemingly become the flagship of the android tablet armada. Of course it's still in the works unfortunately. But for those who are looking for a solid android alternative to the iPad this just might be it. The ICD Gemini spec list reads like it was purposely put together to house everything Apple's device doesn't. Of course that's just our imagination but lets get down to business. This device sports a

1GHz Tegra 2 SOC which is comparable to Apple's A4. The 11.2 inch device is capable of 1080p video. It has a 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls (nice!) A replaceable battery, SD card reader, FM radio, GPS and lots more! See the spec rundown for more. All in all it's easy to see why this device is being talked about so much.

• 11.2-inch
• 1080p video
• 1366x768 resolution
• Multitouch screen, resistive and capacitive versions
• 512MB of DDR RAM - expandable to 32GB
• 4GM of Flash ROM
• 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls
• 40Wh
• user-replaceable
• battery,
• SD card reader, FM radio, GPS,
• 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth,
• MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals,
• stereo speakers
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• dual microphones? supposedly noise canceling. (think nexus one)
• dual webcams -- 2 megapixel front - 5 megapixel autofocus back.
• Flash support

Check out this Engadget post for some more Gemini goodness.

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And in case you missed it we featured a post on a budget Android tablet, that priced under $100. Click here. Also there is a rumor that the HP Slate will feature a Android version of the device.(crosses fingers) And of course the big news is that Google and HTC are working on a Tablet together. This is the same join venture that brought us the Nexus One so I have high hopes for this device. Let us know in the comments, what you think of the devices and if you plan to purchase an Android powered tablet.

Google developing it's own Tablet!

This may or may not come as a surprise but Google has a tablet device of their own in the works. Something that has been speculated about for months now. Well, CEO Eric Schmidt has confirmed this reports Mashable.com

According to reports Google has partnered with HTC to develop this new tablet. This is which will likely run Android. The device will also make use of the Android marketplace. It will be interesting to follow the development of this tablet device as well and the netbooks running Google's Chrome OS. We've seen rumors of a few Chrome OS tablets in the past. As some will recall those mockup images.

For those who haven't already invested in and fallen in love with their new iPads would you be interested in a tablet running Android or Chrome OS? Lets us know below.

[via mashable]

Android tablet under $100

We've seen a number of laptops, PCs and netbooks running android and we're starting to see more and more tablets as well. One of the most inmportant aspects of any gadget or piece of tech you may purchase is of course the cost. FirstView has developed a tablet that clocks in at just $95

The FirstView PC607V runs not only Android but Windows CE.

10.1 resistive touch screen.

1024 x 600 pixels

2.5'' HDD 60GB

Wifi BG

Built in Webcam

Speakers

2 USB 1 SD slot 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA/Rj45 2 headphone ports (in/out)

4500 MH battery

As others have noted this isn't the snazziest looking tablet we've seen running android. And it's not exactly top of the line. Though when you take into account the fact that it will not run more than $150 This is an pretty solid tablet for anyone who simply wants and MID (mobile internet device). This is reported to be running android 1.4(?) Though the manufactures hope/plan to upgrade to 2.0/2.1 Checkout the video below and be sure to follow us on twitter to keep update on the latest. http://www.twitter.com/androidinspect

news via[engadget.com]