The Motorola Xoom Android tablet
Motorola and Telstra last night jointly unveiled the eagerly-anticipated Motorola Xoom Android tablet, and the Motorola Atrix Android phone, confirming the devices will be available in Australia from 24 May and 7 June, respectively.
Read our comprehensive Motorola Xoom review, and our Motorola Atrix review, and see how the Motorola Xoom stacks up against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v and the Acer Iconia A500 in our Android tablet showdown.
Computerworld: Which tablet should I buy? Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v
The Motorola Xoom is equipped with a 10.1in touchscreen and runs the latest version of Google's Android software: 3.0 or 'Honeycomb', which has specifically been designed for tablet devices. Key features of Android 3.0 Honeycomb include tabbed Web browsing, support for 3D graphics, added enterprise features like encrypted storage, a redesigned keyboard, and a new interface that aims to take advantage of the larger sized tablet screen. The Motorola Xoom also supports Adobe Flash Player for viewing Web video.
The Motorola Xoom is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, has 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory and also has two digital cameras on board: a front-facing 2-megapixel camera that acts as a webcam for video calling, and a 5-megapixel camera on the rear that takes still photos and records 720p high-definition video.
"Motorola Xoom arrives at a time when Australians are embracing both mobile tablets and devices powered by Android in record numbers," said Warwick Bray, executive director of Telstra mobility products. "Motorola Xoom's high-definition touch screen and powerful operating software will make it possible for more Australians to enjoy video, mobile web browsing, gaming and magazines on the go."
Telstra confirmed the Motorola Xoom would be available in stores from 24 May for $840 outright, or on a range of Telstra cap plans. The Xoom can be purchased on Telstra's $29 (1GB data), $49 (7GB data) or $79 (12GB data) caps, with an additional monthly payment of $25 for the $29 and $49 plans, and $15 for the $79 plan.
In addition to the Xoom, Telstra also confirmed availability of the Motorola Atrix. The Atrix Android smartphone is equipped with a dual-core processor that runs Android 2.2, has a full HTML 5 browser, and supports HD video. Along with a 1GHz dual-core processor, the Atrix has 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a "qHD" display, a fingerprint reader, and a powerful 1930-mAh battery.
Telstra and Motorola will also sell a number of powerful accessories with the Atrix. The Motorola HD multimedia dock ($129) is equipped with three USB ports and an HDMI port, letting you connect a keyboard, mouse and speakers, as well as allowing you to hook the phone up to an HD monitor or big-screen TV for multimedia playback. The Motorola Laptop Dock ($449) essentially turns your phone into a small notebook, using the Atrix as the PC. The dock has no CPU and offers no computing power of its own, however. It has an 11.6in display with 8-hour battery life and is also equipped with stereo speakers.
The Motorola Atrix will be available from 7 June, and is exclusive to Telstra until the end of July, where it is then expected to be available through other carriers. It can be purchased on Telstra's new freedom connect plans including the $59 plan with a mobile repayment option of $20 per month. This plan includes $550 worth of calls, unlimited text messages and 1.5GB of data. Telstra will also sell the Motorola Atrix outright for $840.
For more information on the Motorola Xoom visit Telstra's website.
