LAS VEGAS--Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI) unveiled is long-awaited tablet, called the Xoom, which represents the vendor's challenge to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad. Motorola, which just days ago separated from Motorola Solutions, also announced its first LTE device, the Droid Bionic for Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ).
At a packed press conference here at the Consumer Electronics Show, Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha announced the Xoom, which is the first tablet to run version 3.0 of Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android platform, dubbed Honeycomb. Jha said the software is still being refined, but said the platform is the first version of Android specifically designed for tablets. The Xoom will be sold as a 3G device sometime in the first quarter through Verizon, but will be upgraded to LTE in the second quarter, Jha said.
The Xoom boasts a dual-core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, delivering up to 2 GHz of processing power, and features a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. The device supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output to display content on larger HD screens. Additionally, the Xoom has a front-facing, 2-megapixel camera for video chats over WiFi or 3G or LTE, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.
Jha also boasted about the speed of the company's first LTE smartphone, the Droid Bionic. The phone has the same processing power as the Xoom, and sports a 4.3-inch HD screen. The Bionic has a front-facing VGA camera and an 8-megapixel camera. Verizon is expected to launch the device in the early second quarter.
Motorola also demonstrated two other Android phones, the Atrix 4G and Cliq 2. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) will launch the Atrix 4G in the next few weeks. The Atrix has a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, front-facing VGA camera and a back-facing 5-megapixel camera, as well as a fingerprint reader for extra security. The phone also is supported by two different docks: One is a multimedia dock, which has three USB ports and an HDMI port enabling connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor; the other dock is a laptop dock that has an 11.6-inch screen, full keyboard, stereo speakers, and a battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life.
T-Mobile USA, which was Motorola's first Android partner, will launch the Cliq 2 Jan. 19. The Cliq 2 runs Android 2.2 with Motorola's MotoBLUR user interface, has a 3.7-inch touchscreen display and is DLNA-enabled, allowing users to stream and share content on other DLNA-enabled devices. The phone has a slide-out Qwerty keyboard as well as several business-oriented functions. Users have the ability to propose new meeting times, reply and reply-all to groups, forward meeting notices and even check meeting participant availability. Additionally, the phone features advanced security functions like remote locate and SD card wipe.
Motorola did not announce pricing for any of the devices.
For more:
- see this Xoom tablet release
- see this Droid Bionic release
- see this Atrix 4G release
- see this Cliq 2 release
- complete CES coverage
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