Specs, Images of Multiple Xoom 2 Variants Leak
The Motorola Xoom was the first Honeycomb (Android 3.x) tablet, but it never really took off. To be truthful, although some reports are that Android tablets have broken the one-third mark in terms of tablet shipments (compared to the iPad 2), Android tablets still have a ways to go. The Motorola Xoom 2 might be a step in that direction.
The Motorola Xoom 2 is rumored to be 9mm thick, which is a tad bit thicker than the iPad 2, at 8.8mm, but will outspec the iPad 2, to perhaps make up for the difference (of course, the Xoom also outspec'ed the iPad 1, only to find the iPad 2 released, still somewhat outspec'ed in areas, but to huge uptake while the Xoom languished).
According to the source, the Xoom 2 will have an unspecified dual-core 1.2GHz processor (what, not the quad-core "Kal-El" Tegra 3?), come with 1GB of "faster" RAM (whatever that means), record 1080p video, and still reportedly achieve eleven hours of battery life compared to the original Xoom’s ten.
There’s an optional keyboard add-on case planned, along with a stylus pen. It will also be the first tablet to sport Adobe Flash Player 11 (not 10), stream Netflix in HD, and could possibly include wireless syncing to your PC (hmm, that can already be done via DVD Jon's doubleTwist, but this is supposed to use Motorola's own software). TIMN also says there's a possibility the Xoom 2 will have a built-in IR blaster and some sort of home automation software, which would fit with the IR blaster.
This is all great, but specs don't win the general audience. A look at Apple's iPad 2 commercials, which are oft-shown on Sunday NFL telecasts, shows that Apple knows how to market the tablet: show us what you can do with it, not that it has great specs (we're looking at you, Droid Bionic ads).
The Motorola Xoom 2 is rumored to be 9mm thick, which is a tad bit thicker than the iPad 2, at 8.8mm, but will outspec the iPad 2, to perhaps make up for the difference (of course, the Xoom also outspec'ed the iPad 1, only to find the iPad 2 released, still somewhat outspec'ed in areas, but to huge uptake while the Xoom languished).
According to the source, the Xoom 2 will have an unspecified dual-core 1.2GHz processor (what, not the quad-core "Kal-El" Tegra 3?), come with 1GB of "faster" RAM (whatever that means), record 1080p video, and still reportedly achieve eleven hours of battery life compared to the original Xoom’s ten.
There’s an optional keyboard add-on case planned, along with a stylus pen. It will also be the first tablet to sport Adobe Flash Player 11 (not 10), stream Netflix in HD, and could possibly include wireless syncing to your PC (hmm, that can already be done via DVD Jon's doubleTwist, but this is supposed to use Motorola's own software). TIMN also says there's a possibility the Xoom 2 will have a built-in IR blaster and some sort of home automation software, which would fit with the IR blaster.
This is all great, but specs don't win the general audience. A look at Apple's iPad 2 commercials, which are oft-shown on Sunday NFL telecasts, shows that Apple knows how to market the tablet: show us what you can do with it, not that it has great specs (we're looking at you, Droid Bionic ads).
