Moto Green Pomelo Launched In China

Lenovo-owned Motorola has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of Moto Green Pomelo Smartphone in China. The Smartphone comes in Rose Gold and Cool Black colour options and is priced at RMB 1,599 (Rs 15,700).

The Moto Green Pomelo comes with a 5.2-inch full HD display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. The display is protected with a layer of Corning Gorilla glass on top. The Smartphone looks identical to the recently launched Moto G5S. The rear panel of the device houses the dual rear camera setup and the Moto logo.

The Smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. It offers 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage which can be expanded further by adding a microSD card.

For the capabilities, the Smartphone sports a 16MP rear and front camera with LED flash and f/2.0 aperture. The Smartphone is backed by a 2800mAh battery and offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

Motorola Launches Budget Smartphone Moto E4 in India

Lenovo-owned Motorola has launched its budget Smartphone the Moto E4 in India. The Smartphone is available at offline stores at a price of Rs 8,999. In India, the company has launched the Moto E4 with MediaTek processor and not with Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor.

The Moto E4 has a 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor, paired with 2GB of RAM. There's 16GB of internal storage, with support for microSD cards.

The dual-SIM Smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and comes with water repellent coating. It's also equipped with a fingerprint sensor and includes a 2,800mAh battery with rapid charging support.

Moto E4 features an 8MP rear camera (with LED flash) and a 5MP selfie shooter. The phone comes with routine connectivity options, including, 4G VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC.

Motorola Moto G5 Smartphone in India

Lenovo -owned Motorola is all set to launch Moto G5 Smartphone in India. The company has sent out media invites for the launch of the Smartphone on April 4, 2017.

The company launched the Moto G5 at the Mobile World Congress 2017, in Barcelona Spain. The Moto G5 is the smaller sibling of the company's recently-launched Moto G5 Plus Smartphone and comes with a 5-inch Full-HD display and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. The Smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and comes in two variants -- 2GB RAM/16GB storage and 3GB RAM/64GB storage.

Moto sports a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash, while the front camera is a 5MP one. The device is backed by a 2,800 mAh battery and offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS for connectivity.

Earlier this month, Motorola launched Moto G5 Plus in India with a starting price tag of Rs 14,999. The company has launched two variants of the Smartphone - 3GB RAM/16GB storage and 4GB RAM/32GB storage.

The Moto G5 Plus packs a 5.2-inch Full HD screen with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. The display is protected with the layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and it is also water repellent. The front of the device also houses a capacitive home button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and runs Android Nougat 7.0 out-of-the-box.

The Smartphone comes with the popular Moto features such as Moto Display and shake gestures.

Moto G5 Plus is claimed to have the 'most advanced' 12MP camera, supported by dual-LED flash and 4K video recording. There's a 5MP selfie shooter. The device packs a 3,000 mAh battery and offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth as connectivity options.

Motorola launches Moto 360 Smartwatch

For the Motorola fans, the wait is finally over. Motorola has launched the much-awaited second-generation version of its Moto 360 Smartwatch in India with prices starting at Rs 19,999. The Smartwatch will be available on Myntra and Flipkart websites.

Moto-360 (second-generation) was unveiled at IFA in Berlin in early September. The new Moto 360 Smartwatch, from Lenovo-owned Motorola, comes in three variants: A men's watch in two sizes, a women's version and a sports model called Moto 360 Sport.

The men's model comes in 42x11.4mm and 46x11.4mm sizes. The women's version is 42mm. The 42mm Moto 360 comes with a 1.37-inch (360x325-pixel resolution) display, while the bigger 46mm model has a 1.56-inch (360x330-pixel resolution) display. Visually, Moto 360 still sports a round display as last year's model.

Specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, 512MB of RAM, 300mAh battery and 4GB of internal storage. The new Moto 360 models support wireless charging and packs accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope and vibration/haptics engine.

For connectivity purpose, the device includes Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g. Similar to so many recent Android Wear watches, Moto 360 second-gen too supports ambient display capability with the watch display switching to a power efficient black and white mode with minimal information, when you're not actively looking at it.

Moto X Force coming to India in November

The Moto X Force, which was launched earlier this week in the US under the name Droid Turbo 2, is scheduled to hit the Indian market in November.

The Moto X Force has a shatterproof display panel courtesy Motorola's ShatterShield technology; the company is even offering a four-year warranty that covers damage to the display. The company has even used two touch-screen layers, so that the Smartphone remains usable even if one of the layers is cracked.

Moto X Force's OLED display panel measures 5.4-inch in size and sports resolution of 1440x2560p. Under the hood is a 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM, and storage options are 32GB and 64GB. The Smartphone supports microSD cards of up to 2TB capacity.

Motorola has preloaded Moto X Force with Android 5.1.1, not Android 6.0 (Marshmallow).

On the back is the 21MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and phase-detection autofocus and dual-LED flash, while a 5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture, 1.4micron pixels and LED flash is in the front.

For connectivity, Moto X Force has 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Wi-Fi with MIMO, and infrared. The battery capacity is rated at 3,760mAh and supports Turbo Charging technology for faster charging as well as Qi and PMA wireless charging standards.

Moto X Force is available in only black ballistic nylon finish with water repellent nano-coating. The Smartphone, however, is not water resistant. It weighs 169 grams and measures 7.6mm at its thinnest point.

The 32GB unlocked variant of Moto X Force has been priced at 534 pounds in the UK, whereas the 64GB model costs 534 pounds.

Moto G (Gen 3) Smartphone

Motorola has unveiled the third-generation Moto G Smartphone in the Indian market, bringing more competition to the already overcrowded segment. India is the first market receiving the new Moto G model.

The new Smartphone comes in two variants: one featuring 8GB internal storage, 1GB RAM and priced at Rs 11,999, and the other with 16GB in-built storage, 2GB RAM and Rs 12,999 price tag.

On the hardware side, Moto G (Gen 3) comes with a 5-inch IPS screen with 720x1280p resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 protection and runs on the 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB RAM. The Smartphone supports 4G network on both SIM slots and microSD cards for storage expansion.

For imaging, the latest iteration of Moto G Smartphone comes with 13MP rear camera with colour-balancing, dual-LED flash and wide-angle 5MP front camera for selfies. The battery capacity of the Smartphone is 2,470mAh, which lasts 20% more than the second-generation Moto G's 2,070mAh battery.

The new Moto G (Gen 3) Smartphone is IPx7 certified, meaning that it is resistant to water damage up to 30 minutes (maximum depth of 1 metre).

Like all Motorola Smartphones of the past couple of years, the new Moto G (Gen 3) runs on vanilla version of Android 5.1, with a few proprietary Motorola features on top. Among these software features are Moto Display and Quick Capture that have been seen in previous Motorola phones; a new feature is Chop Twice, which turns the flash on and off by doing a karate chop in quick succession.

The new Moto G (Gen 3) comes in white and black colours, and the company is offering back covers in various colours as customization option.

Those who already own Moto E and Moto G models will get a discount if they upgrade to the third-generation Moto G.

Motorola to launch Moto E (2nd-Gen) in India

After unveiling its second generation entry-level Smartphone, Motorola has sent media invites for the launch of the Moto E. The event is scheduled for March 10 in New Delhi. The company has not revealed the phone's pricing for India yet. It's not clear if Motorola will also release the 4G variant of the phone.

The Lenovo-owned manufacturer had announced the second-generation Moto E Smartphone in two variants - one featuring 4G LTE support, while the other compatible only with 3G networks.

The 3G version of the phone is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, while the 4G-capable variant has a 64-bit quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 chip. Apart from these, both of the phones sport almost the same hardware.

The phone sports a 4.5-inch, 540x960p display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, same as the one on the first-generation model; and run Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.

A big change is the arrival of the 0.3MP (VGA) front camera; the original Moto E did not have a Selfie shooter.

Motorola has added autofocus capability to the rear camera. The battery capacity has also increased to 2,390mAh, up from the 2,080mAh powerhouse of the first-generation model.

The rear camera resolution and RAM remain constant at 5MP and 1GB, respectively; Motorola has still not added the flash on the back in the new Moto E. The 8GB of built-in storage can be expanded by micro-SD card up to 32GB.

If the company launches Moto E 4G, Motorola will join the race of budget 4G phones and will compete against the likes of Lenovo A6000, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, Micromax's YU Yureka and Microsoft Lumia 638.

Motorola Droid Turbo : The Smartphone with a lasting battery

It really annoying when your phone’s battery doesn’t last through the workday without needing to be recharged.

This is the exact situation that Motorola and Verizon’s new Droid Turbo, is meant to help you avoid. Packing a massive battery, available for $199 with a two-year contract the Turbo can last up to 48 hours on a single charge.

The Turbo is more than just a giant battery. In fact, it’s easily one of the best smartphones Motorola has to offer.

The Droid Turbo  uses Kevlar to help give it stability while keeping its weight in check. Turbo is available with either a metalized glass fiber back panel or with a ballistic nylon panel.

The ballistic nylon option gives the Turbo’s back panel the feel of an old backpack and also helps keep the phone from slipping out of your hand. The metalized glass fiber  gives the Turbo’s back a soft-touch feel that makes the phone more pleasant to hold.

Unfortunately, the ballistic nylon-clad Turbo is actually pretty fat. Measuring 0.44 inches thick, the Turbo is chubbier than Moto X (0.39 inches), as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and Apple’s iPhone 6 (0.27 inches). And at 6.2 ounces, the Turbo is heavier than the Moto X (5.1 ounces), the Galaxy S5 (5.1 ounces), and the iPhone 6 (4.6 ounces).

Motorola strapped the Droid Turbo with a gorgeous 5.2-inch AMOLED (active matrix of organic light-emitting diodes) display, which produces vibrant colors. And with a screen resolution of 2560 × 1440, the Turbo’s display is seriously sharp. 

The Turbo’s AMOLED screen technology made reds and blues look positively alive. Colours were more accurate on the iPhone 6, but I think most people would prefer the Turbo’s screen. The competing Galaxy S5, however, offered the best display of the group, producing absolutely gorgeous colors, with the Moto X not far behind.

The Droid Turbo runs on Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat operating system - not the latest release, Android 5.0 Lollipop. 

KitKat is an excellent operating system. And unlike other Android phone makers that modify the OS with their own overlays, like Samsung’s overly complicated TouchWiz and HTC’s Sense, the Droid Turbo’s version of Android is unmolested. It’s as easy to navigate as Google intended.

Like Motorola’s Moto X, the Droid Turbo comes loaded with the company’s impressive Moto app suite, which includes Moto Actions, Moto Assist, Moto Display, and Moto Voice.

Motorola Xoom gets Ice Cream Sandwich

Motorola has started rolling out Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich to Motorola Xoom owners, but only those who have the Wi-Fi version of the device.

This will bring a redesigned app launcher, a better web browser, resizable widgets and many other goodies to the tablet.

As for the 3G version of the tablet, Motorola said it will get the update as well, but did not give an exact date.

The update will be rolling out in "phases over the course of a few weeks," so don't be perturbed if your Xoom still hasn't been updated.

Motorola is also slated to update its Droid Razr with Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012.

Motorola and Lenovo to use Intel chips in smartphones

Motorola Mobility and Lenovo said they will use Intel processors in smartphones and other devices, giving the chipmaker its first entry into a market it has long coveted.

Intel Corp. has struggled to bring down the power consumption of its chips so that they can be used in phones without draining the battery in a matter of hours. Meanwhile, phone-style chips from other manufacturers are starting to encroach on Intel's PC chips, by becoming the chips of choice for tablet computers.

Lenovo Group Ltd. will be first out the gate, with a smartphone called K800 for the Chinese carrier Unicom in the second quarter, according to Liu Jun, a senior vice president at the company. The phone will have a 4.5-inch touch screen, will use Google Android software for smartphones and tablets and will be able to stream video to TV sets equipped with Intel's Wireless Display technology.

Jun spoke as the guest of Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who was making a keynote speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He was joined on stage by Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. CEO Sanjay Jha, who said he will have Intel-powered phones in testing this summer and ready for consumer hands a few months later.

Jha didn't provide any details about the Intel-powered devices, except to say that they would use Android. Motorola Mobility is set to be acquired by Google.

Intel said the phones will be able to run most applications straight from Google's Android Market. Usually, switching to another processor family means applications won't run, but Intel said it has a way around that obstacle.

Otellini demonstrated an Intel-made prototype phone, running Android, that he said could get eight hours of talk time and six hours of movie playback from its battery, comparable to smartphones with standard processors. At the same time, Otellini said, the greater processing capability of Intel's Atom chip means the phones can run more programs at the same time.

Microsoft Corp. dealt Intel a blow last year by announcing that it would release its new operating system, Windows 8, in one version for Intel-style chips and other for phone-style chips that are based on designs from Britain's ARM Holdings PLC. Windows has run exclusively on Intel-type chips since the mid-90s.

Motorola launches Motoluxe and Defy Mini Android phones

Motorola has expanded its range of Android smartphones with the launch of two new devices, the Motoluxe and the Defy Mini. While neither astound in terms of specification, they’re solid entries into Motorola’s mid-level line-up.

The Motoluxe is the more advanced of the two, and sports a 4-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution, with an 800Mhz processor and 512MB RAM inside. Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and DLNA support, while Google Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread is the OS of choice.

An 8-megapixel camera sits on the rear of the 123-gram chassis, and video-calls can be made using the forward-facing VGA lens too. Motorola says a light-up lanyard slot, which alerts users to incoming messages or missed calls, sets the Motoluxe apart from its rivals.

The Defy Mini follows on from the Defy and the Defy+, and is once more a device for those who need a phone that can withstand a little punishment. The 3.2-inch touchscreen is covered in scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, while the chassis is dust-proof and water-resistant.

It’s not as feature rich as the Motoluxe though, with only a 600Mhz processor, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and a 3 megapixel camera. The battery is rated at 1650mAh, which should return ten hours talktime and more than 500 hours standby. Like the Motoluxe, the operating system is Android Gingerbread.

Both the Motoluxe and Defy Mini have been made available in China already, under the names XT615 and XT320 respectively, but will be coming to the UK, Europe and Latin America in February.

Droid RAZR shows off a super slim figure

October 18 is a date that most Android fanboys have circled on their calendars, first Motorola is hosting a press conference and then later in the night Google and Samsung are hosting an event in Hong Kong. It is assumed that Motorola will be announcing the Xoom 2 tablet and a phone called the Droid RAZR. Droid-Life was able to find a leaked press image of the Droid RAZR.

It better be thin seeing how the tag line for Motorola’s press conference is Faster, Thinner, Smarter, Stronger. The RAZR is rumored to house a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, LTE antenna, and 8MP camera. The phone is also supposed to have a gorilla glass screen, be wrapped in Kevlar, and be splash resistant to meet the “stronger” claim.

It wouldn’t be a true RAZR phone unless it was insanely thin, so much so that it better be one of the slimmest phones on the market. The fact that it is an LTE device, gives an indication that it might not be as thin as we hope, seeing how the Droid Bionic is currently the thinnest LTE phone and is 11mm thick at its thinnest point. To put that number in context the iPhone 4S is 9.3mm thick, and the original Samsung Galaxy S 2 is 8.49mm thick so the RAZR has some work to do to catch up to those two.

It seems odd that Verizon would carry both the Droid Bionic and Droid RAZR, as it seems that there is not much difference between the two phones. Both have a 4.3 inch screen, dual core processors, and LTE radios.

Motorola to sell cheaper version of Xoom tablet

Motorola Mobility Inc. has said that it will sell a cheaper version of its Xoom tablet computer that's geared toward families. The device will be available starting Sunday and will only be sold at Best Buy Co. stores.

Like the existing Xoom, the Xoom Family Edition has a touch screen that measures 10.1 inches at the diagonal, a dual-core processor, front and rear cameras and runs Google Inc.'s tablet-geared Android software, Honeycomb. It has less memory though: 16 gigabytes, compared with 34 gigabytes on the existing Xoom. Motorola said Family Edition will cost $379 - $120 less than what the cheapest Xoom currently costs - and it will come with a number of family-friendly apps built in.

It's unclear how long the Xoom Family Edition will keep its lower price tag, though: In a press release, Motorola called it a "limited-time value price."

As more companies enter the burgeoning tablet market in hopes of competing with Apple Inc.'s extremely popular iPad, the pressure is on to drop prices in order to woo consumers.

Google's Motorola deal to boost Android Ecosystem

Since Google announced its plans to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, analysts, stockholders and developers have been discussing the implications, and the talk hasn't slowed. Speculation has included the winners and losers in the deal; a closed Android operating system; and how the deal ultimately helps Microsoft.

While many analysts point to Moto's patent portfolio, Tina Teng, a senior wireless analyst at IHS, suggested Motorola's product-development capabilities may have made it an attractive target for Google.

"Motorola has been closely following Google Android's operating-system release schedule. Whenever Google releases a new version of Android, Motorola almost immediately has a device ready with the latest revision of the software, reflecting the company's prodigious product-development capabilities," Teng said.

Beyond Smartphones:
Teng noted how Google previously has used new HTC and Samsung products to demonstrate the latest capabilities of the Android operating system. The HTC MyTouch and Samsung Nexus S served to show off the operating systems' capabilities so other OEMs could follow the example. If the Federal Trade Commission approves the acquisition, Motorola will become the company to set the example.

"Motorola can serve as Google's product R&D department as Android spreads into new markets," Teng added. "Motorola has engineering expertise in a wide range of products where Android will be used, including set-top boxes and televisions. The addition of Motorola's engineering and intellectual property will accelerate Android's time-to-market in these areas and potentially revitalize the Google TV business, which so far has met with little success."

Indeed, Google CEO Larry Page hinted at possibilities beyond smartphones in his blog posting. Specifically, he noted how Motorola is a market leader in the home-devices and video-solutions businesses.

"With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work together with Motorola and the industry to support our partners and cooperate with them to accelerate innovation in this space," Page said.

May Boost A Stronger Ecosystem:
According to Strategy Analytics, more than 70 percent of consumers agreed that mobile apps would be extremely important when purchasing their next handset. With the Motorola acquisition, the firm said, Google can now rival Apple's ecosystem.

Strategy Analytics' premise is that Apple built the iOS ecosystem on the strength of hardware and software releases that work together. Apple's development paradigm led to innovative apps and a platform that focuses more on experience than technical specifications. Although Google has innovated consistently with the Android platform, the firm noted, it has failed to effectively tie software upgrades to new hardware that developers could leverage to create new apps.

While other factors certainly played a critical role in the selection of Motorola as an acquisition target, Strategy Analytics said Google will be able to leverage the purchase of Motorola to address three critical flaws with Android: A subpar ecosystem for consumers and developers, APIs that are not specifically focused on improving usability, and fragmentation.

"Providing developers with an environment in which they can succeed will be critical to building long-term support - support which is essential to consumer interest," said Josh Martin, director of apps research at Strategy Analytics. "If handled correctly, the acquisition of Motorola could help Google make Android into a platform that offers unrivaled revenue opportunities."

Motorola Droid 3 available on Verizon for $199

The Motorola Droid 3 has arrived. The new phone is now available for purchase on Verizon’s Website for $199.99 with a two-year contract or $459.99 alone. Those hoping for a 4G LTE handset will be disappointed, however. The Droid 3 is still a 3G phone, though it does pack some punch with a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540) display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a full QWERTY keyboard with a dedicated row for numbers, 1080p video recording, and 16GB of onboard memory. The unit will be available in stores on July 14.

The original Droid helped kick off the massive success Android had in 2009 and 2010, though Motorola itself has since been somewhat eclipsed by emergent competitors like Samsung and HTC. Motorola has not shown the Droid 3 at any trade shows or events this year.

Motorola to launch Triumph: A High-End Prepaid Android Smartphone

Motorola is all set to launch a high end prepaid android smartphone. That is Motorola Triumph. And when it goes on sale July 19 for $299, it'll be one of the most powerful prepaid Android smartphones out there, on Virgin Mobile's network or any other.

The specs of Motorola Triumph:
he specs of Motorola Triumph:The Motorola Triumph will have a 1-gigahertz single-core processor and 512 MB of RAM, making it roughly equivalent to a high-end Android smartphone from 2010 like the HTC Evo. It will have a 4.1 inch screen, much larger than the iPhone 4's and closer to other large Android smartphones'. And it will only have 2 GB of internal storage, but will support up to 32 GB of additional memory through its MicroSD slot - so if you already have a fingernail-sized memory card from another phone, just plug it in and you're good to go.

The Triumph will run Android 2.2 "Froyo," a recent version of Android that's basically par for the course for a modern smartphone. It will also have advanced multimedia capabilities, like a 5-megapixel camera that can record 720p video, plus a front-facing camera for video chat. Finally, an HDMI out port will let you plug it in to your HDTV so you can watch videos on the big screen.

The Motorola Triumph is a prepaid smartphone, meaning you don't sign up for a two-year contract with it. Because of that, you have to pay the phone's full cost up front, and it's pretty hefty at $299.

On the plus side, though, not only do you not sign a contract, but you can get unlimited data and texting for $25 a month. Virgin Mobile's basic "Beyond Talk" plan also includes 300 voice minutes per month, and its $40 per month plan includes 1200 minutes. ($60 a month gets you unlimited everything, period.)

The Upshot:
Virgin Mobile is easily the cheapest of the prepaid mobile carriers, like MetroPCS and Cricket, and it uses Sprint's network to boot. The LG Optimus V is Virgin's flagship phone at the moment, and it costs half as much as the Triumph but has decidedly low-end specs.

The Motorola Triumph just might be the phone you've been waiting for, if you want a decent smartphone without a 2-year contract. And it'll cost more than more powerful phones will up-front, but the cheaper, contract-free wireless plans might make it worth it.

Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi priced at $730 in UK

The primary concern that tech enthusiasts have had about the Motorola Xoom tablet is its price. Worries stem not only from how much it will cost, but how that cost will compare to Apple’s iPad, the Xoom’s most obvious direct competitor.

Motorola has officially unveiled the price of its Wi-Fi-only Xoom tablet PC: £450, or around $730. That puts the price of the Xoom Wi-Fi at £60 less than the going rate for the 32GB Wi-Fi-only iPad, and only £10 more than the 16GB iPad.

Additionally, T-Mobile Germany - which has exclusive carrier rights to the Xoom in that country - has also announced the Xoom’s price: €699.95 for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. This puts the Xoom at only 95 Euro cents above the 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad.

Reports from the middle of February indicate that the Xoom will be priced at $799 for the Wi-Fi + 3G model, available only through Verizon Wireless, and $600 for the Wi-Fi-only version.

Both models of the Motorila Xoom run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and measure 10.1-inches - slightly larger than the iPad - with a 1280×800 resolution display. The Xoom is powered by the 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, comes loaded with 1GB DDR2 RAM, and includes 32GB of internal storage for all models. The Motorola tablet also comes with two cameras, one front-facing (2MP), one back-facing (5MP), with an LED flash.

Motorola's Xoom iPad: 1st to pack Android 3.0 Honeycomb

When Steve Jobs strode onstage and unveiled the iPad in January of 2010, the news left nearly every other big computer and consumer-electronics maker racing to get into the tablet market that Jobs' iPad had suddenly created.

And the competition turned out to be a marathon. More than a year later, we're still talking about tablets that are huffing and puffing their way towards the showroom floor. There's RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, slated to arrive by the end of March. HP's Web OS-based TouchPad is due this summer. And dozens of other models are on their way. The pace has been so plodding that Apple's second-generation iPad, will apparently beat most other companies' first-generation models to market.

Then there's Motorola's Xoom, which goes on sale at Verizon retail locations, (today, Thursday). It's the first honest-to-goodness, no-qualifications-necessary iPad rival from a major manufacturer to hit stores. That's in large part because it's also the first to pack Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the operating system that Google designed specifically with tablets in mind. The Xoom has its fair share of raw edges, but it's a great leap beyond earlier Android-based tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which took the unsatisfying shortcut of using earlier versions of Android that were meant for smartphones.

Verizon will sell the Xoom for $799.99, a hefty $300.99 premium over the current iPad's starting price of $499; you can get a $200 discount if you commit to two years' worth of data service. The pricing disparity between Motorola and Apple isn't as alarming as it looks at first blush, though. With its built-in Verizon wireless connection and 32GB of storage, the Xoom is most directly comparable to the $729 AT&T version of the iPad. And it has far beefier specs than any Apple tablet, including a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, and two cameras - a 2-megapixel model up front for Google Talk video calls and a 5-megapixel one in back for taking snapshots and capturing HD video.

The Xoom will also be a 4G wireless device, thanks to Verizon's zippy LTE network - but not until the second quarter of this year, according to Motorola. For now, it comes with 3G and the promise of a free upgrade. That's one of several telltale signs that it was rushed out the door. Adobe's Flash Player software, which will let Xoom owners get at Flash Web videos and games that don't work on the iPad, won't be ready for a few weeks. And there's a dormant slot for MicroSD memory cards that Motorola plans to enable it in an upcoming software update.

Even if the Xoom is a work in progress, it already does many things well. The tablet is sheathed in a plastic case rather than the iPad's aluminum, but it's pleasing to the eye and touch; slightly thinner than the iPad, the Xoom tips the scales at an identical 1.6 pounds. It also out-iPads the iPad by doing away with even that tablet's single physical button on the front. However, there's a button on the back - the power switch.

The display measures 10.1" diagonally, giving it a skosh more elbow room and more pixels than the iPad's 9.7" screen. When you meet a Xoom in person, though, the most striking difference is aspect ratio, not size. Apple's tablet has a 4:3 display that's reminiscent of a book or magazine; Motorola's has a 16:10 widescreen that makes it look more like a miniature HDTV.

The iPad's less exaggerated dimensions are superior for reading e-books and other text-centric tasks. But in landscape orientation, the Xoom's extra space makes for comfier typing on the on-screen keyboard. It's also well-proportioned for HD movies.

Motorola to launch Atrix 4G on Feb 22

The smartphone of the future is coming on February 22. Motorola's Atrix 4G dual-core handset will officially launch on AT&T next Tuesday. According to a tweet from Atrix 4G, it can function as a regular smartphone or can be hooked up to a keyboard and monitor for a desktop PC-like experience.

But while the device is definitely the smartphone to watch in 2011 the first-generation Atrix 4G has some serious downsides for the average user.

Atrix Specs
The Atrix 4G is packing two 1GHz processor cores for up to 2GHz of processing power, 1GB RAM, 16GB onboard memory, and a microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB storage for a maximum of 48GB storage.

The Atrix 4G has a 4-inch display, Android 2.2 (Froyo) with Motorola's MOTOBLUR overlay, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and HSPA+ cellular connectivity.

Atrix Webtop
When you want to dock your smartphone, the Atrix 4G changes from its smartphone view to what Motorola calls the phone's Webtop view on the external monitor. The Webtop is an app on your phone that launches when it detects a connection to an external display.

The Webtop provides access to all the apps on your phone and a full version of the Firefox browser. Enterprise users can also use the Citrix XenApp to access a virtualized Windows 7 desktop.

Atrix Toys
The secret of the Atrix 4G's "cool factor," however is its ability to interface with a special laptop shell or to hook up to an external monitor and keyboard. But for that functionality you need a few toys.

The Laptop Dock includes an 11.6-inch backlit screen, full-size keyboard, touchpad, two USB ports, and stereo speakers; it weighs a little more than 2 pounds. Motorola claims a six-hour battery life for the device, and it also has a p ower pack to plug into the wall if you don't want to run on battery power. The laptop dock is just a shell that cannot do anything until the Atrix 4G is slotted into the back.

The Atrix 4G's HD Multimedia Dock is a device charger that includes two USB ports, an HDMI slot, and a mini headphone jack. You can use the charger to hook your Atrix up to a desktop monitor, keyboard, and mouse or you could use the HDMI port to connect your phone to an HDTV.

Playback through the Multimedia Dock's HDMI port supports 720p high-definition video, but Motorola says the Atrix 4G will be upgraded to output 1080p via HDMI in the future.

The Bad News
The Atrix 4G's Webtop is a brilliant idea and is the first realization that smartphones could one day double as a PC you just plug into a shell. But a few problems exist with this first effort.

First up, Price
You can buy the Atrix 4G's Laptop Dock in one of two ways, and either will set you back at least $500. You can buy the Laptop Dock and the Atrix 4G for $500 with a two-year contract. You also have to sign up for a data plan and AT&T's infamous $20-per-month tethering convenience fee if you want to browse the Web on the laptop dock. The upside is you can get a $100 mail-in rebate on your purchase after you sign-up for the data plan and tethering.

The other option is to buy the Laptop Dock straight up without a two-year contract for $500. That's a high price point considering you can buy an actual 11.6-inch netbook running Windows 7 for that price instead of just a dumb shell that can only display (not power) a glorified version of Android. You also still need the $20-per-month tethering fee if you want to use 4G data instead of Wi-Fi.

The HD Multimedia Dock for hooking up to an external monitor and keyboard costs $190.

Webtop Not Windows
The second downside is that the Atrix 4G's Webtop is not a true desktop OS. Sure, you get access to a full version of Firefox so you're not browsing the mobile Web on a larger screen, but I'm not so sure there is much demand for running Android on a desktop or laptop monitor.

The real milestone for the Atrix 4G's concept will come when your handset can power a desktop version of Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X. Yes, if your company supports it, the Atrix 4G can access a cloud-based version of Windows 7, but for everyday users this feature is not available.

Nevertheless, the Atrix 4G is definitely a smartphone to keep your eye on. And if Motorola or another smartphone maker figures out how to pack dual-mode Mobile OS/Windows 7 functionality into a handset, that can really be a game-changer.

Motorola to release 4G Phones in 2011

Motorola in its new form, to be known as Motorola Mobility, will go the way of Acer, rather than Apple in releasing new tablets in 2011.

Apple founder Steve Jobs has jabbed at 7-inch screens, emphasizing the nearly 10 inches on iPad. Several others have said they are going with 7-inchers. But Taiwan-based Acer said last month it will offer both 10.1- and 7-inch touchscreen displays.

Motorola Mobility will follow Acer. Current co-CEO Sanjay Jha, who will lead Motorola Mobility, said, “We’re planning to participate quite fully in the tablet category. Motorola Mobility will specialize in mobile devices and set-top boxes.”

He said Moto’s research shows 10-inch tabs are for business and 7-inch tabs are “fun” devices more easily carried by consumers. According to Jha, Motorola is planning to release 4G phones in 2011.

Jha hinted a new “competitive dynamic” will disrupt Motorola's relationship with Verizon in the first quarter that will have a significant negative impact on Motorola. “Whether the comment is an indirect reference to Verizon Wireless getting an iPhone or an official 3G/4G-capable iPad that's compatible with the carrier's network out of the box is unclear. To combat the threat, Motorola will continue to focus on the mid- to high-tier smartphone market.”

Schaumburg, IL.-based Motorola, which pioneered the mobile phone and is now benefiting from its smartphone Droid with Google's Android OS, will spin-off Motorola Mobility on Jan. 4 as it creates two publicly traded companies. The rest of Motorola, which sells tech to government and corporations, will become Motorola Solutions and trade on the New York Stock Exchange as MSI.

Meanwhile, the new Motorola Mobility, which will trade on NYSE as MMI, said next year it will offer another new device with mobile capabilities. Reuters has reported that this new device will combine set-top boxes and cell phone technology. The device will be featured in January at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Daniel Moloney, president of Motorola Mobility, says the technology will allow consumers to view any content anywhere on different devices. "It's one consumer proposition that will come sooner rather than later," he told the Reuters Global Media Summit.

After being sold a separate gadget offered via service providers, the home streaming product will eventually be integrated into set-top boxes.

Moloney rejoined Motorola last summer, having served as president and chief executive officer of Technitrol, an electronic component manufacturer. He previously was executive vice president at Motorola Inc. and president of Motorola’s Home and Networks Mobility business, which evolved into Motorola Mobility. Moloney then worked with video and WiMax.