Motorola DROID RAZR Hands-On

via PhoneDog on YouTube

The RAZR name is coming back, and it's coming back strong! Aaron gets some hands-on time with the Motorola DROID RAZR, an impressive 4G LTE device that's coming to Verizon Wireless in November. It packs a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced qHD display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording capabilities, an HD front-facing camera, 1,800 mAh battery, and Android 2.3.5 with Motorola's custom UI. As if being the thinnest 4G LTE device (7.1mm thin) wasn't enough, it's an absolutely gorgeous device, with metal accents, water-resistant coating, and a KEVLAR-coated back. It'll be available for pre-order on October 27th and available in retail stores sometime in November for $299.99 with a two-year contract.

New Android Smartphones Arrive to AT&T's Portfolio

via ShareATT on YouTube



New Android devices are coming to AT&T. These include, the Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and AT&T Avail. Learn about the features offered by each new of these new Android mobile devices.

REVIEW: Droid Bionic by Motorola

My son, Cameron, is up for an upgrade to his longtime Verizon Droid phone. He's eying the newest, most powerful Droid Bionic from Motorola. He hesitated for a bit when the iPhone 4S hysteria hit, but this very thorough review by phandroid gives some solid support to moving up to this powerful, awesome Android phone. With a SUPERFAST dual-core processor and I believe it uses Android's Gingerbread OS, this is a phone that definitely takes it up a notch! What do YOU think? Target Mobile has a terrific $219 upgrade price for this phone (not too bad).

RIM PlayBook sells 50,000 on Day One; Amazon tablet (probably) imminent

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"Research in Motion’s (RIMM) new tablet, the Android app-compatible PlayBook, hit the streets this week. It also sold better on its first day of shelf life than many expected, moving 50,000 tabs on April 19.

Here’s a quote from MSNBC.com’s Gadgetbox on the subject from its story:

‘The launch appears to have been stronger than the launch of Motorola's Xoom [Android] Tablet, or the Samsung Galaxy Tab, although it's too early to judge sustainability,’ said RBC Capital Markets' analyst Mike Abramsky in a note to clients.

Of course, the PlayBook’s numbers aren’t exactly comparable to what Apple’s iPad pulled down -- 300,000 sold on its first day in April 2010, 19.5 million iPads and iPad 2s sold to date -- but in the increasingly crowded tablet market, it’s not a bad showing, especially given the fact that RIM has been struggling to catch up with Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) of late. Abramsky told the Montreal Gazette that RIM is on track to ship 500,000 PlayBooks by the first quarter of 2012.

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Why nobody can match the iPad's price

By WIRED via CNN.com: "When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad last January, the biggest surprise wasn't the actual product. (Many shrugged and called the iPad a 'bigger iPhone.') It was the price: Just $500.

Nobody expected that number, perhaps because Apple has traditionally aimed at the high end of the mobile computer market with MacBooks marked $1,000 and up. And perhaps we were also thrown off because Apple execs repeatedly told investors they couldn't produce a $500 computer that wasn't a piece of junk.

But Apple did meet that price, and the iPad isn't junk. The iPad is still the first, and best-selling, product of its kind. Competitors, meanwhile, are having trouble hitting that $500 sweet spot.

Motorola's Xoom tablet is debuting in the United States with an $800 price tag. (To be fair, the most comparable iPad is $730 -- but there's no $500 Xoom planned, and the lack of a low-end entry point will hurt Motorola.) Samsung's Galaxy Tab, with a relatively puny 7-inch screen, costs $600 without a contract.

Why is it so hard to get to a lower starting price? And how was Apple able to get there?

Jason Hiner of Tech Republic suggests it largely has to do with Apple's retail strategy. Apple now has 300 retail stores worldwide selling iPads directly to customers. That's advantageous, because if the iPad were primarily sold at third-party retail stores, a big chunk of profit would go to those retailers, Hiner reasons.

Apple has partnered with a few retail chains such as Best Buy and Walmart, but those stores always seem to get a small number of units in stock. Hiner rationalizes that the true purpose of these partnerships is probably to help spread the marketing message, not so much to sell iPads.

'The company can swallow the bitter pill of hardly making any money from iPad sales through its retail partners because it can feast off the fat profits it makes when customers buy directly through its retail outlets and the web store,' Hiner says. 'However, companies like Motorola, HP, and Samsung have to make all of their profit by selling their tablets wholesale to retailer partners.'

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Motorola Xoom Available for Pre-Order at Best Buy for $800

By Yahoo! News: "We knew the price for Motorola's upcoming Android tablet, the Xoom, would be $800, but seeing the price on a live Best Buy pre-order page turns this haunting mental image into harsh reality.

You can pre-order the Xoom, which currently comes in only one flavor, now and pick it up Thursday, February 24, in Best Buy stores.

The Xoom is one of the first tablets on the market to run Android 3.0 or Honeycomb, the first version of Android designed specifically for tablets. It sports impressive features: a 10.1'' widescreen HD display, a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, as well as Wi-Fi and 3G support. Add to that the 5-megapixel camera on the rear and a 2-megapixel one on the front, as well as the accelerometer and HDMI output, and you might even be able to justify the price tag.

Besides the Xoom itself, Best Buy also offers several accessories, including a $70 Bluetooth wireless keyboard, a $130 speaker dock, and a $40 portfolio-style case.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Motorola Xoom Pricing: $600 for Wi-Fi, $800 for 3G

Motorola Xoom Pricing: $600 for Wi-Fi, $800 for 3G - Yahoo! News: "While the 3G version of the Android tablet is looking a bit pricey at $799, the Wi-Fi version will cost around $600, Motorola Chief Executive Sanjay Jha told Reuters.

That would put the Xoom, which has 32 GB of storage, in line with Apple's 32 GB iPad with Wi-Fi. Apple's tablet would still have the price advantage on 3G, which costs $729, compared to $800 for the Xoom. Apple also sells a 16 GB iPad for $499, while Motorola hasn't announced any other Xoom models or prices.

I'm glad to see Motorola hasn't priced itself out of the market, as some tech watchers had feared. The 3G pricing is a drag, but I also think that for a lot users, 3G is a superfluous tablet feature. A lot of new smartphones work as Wi-Fi hotspots, including Motorola's Droid X and Droid 2 on Verizon Wireless, so you could still connect a Wi-Fi Xoom to mobile broadband without the up-front hardware cost on the tablet.

As for release dates, Motorola hasn't formally announced any. The 3G Xoom is widely expected to launch in February or March through Verizon Wireless, and a Motorola executive in Latin America has said the Wi-Fi version will follow in April, but it's unclear whether that will be the case in other regions.

A lot's riding on the Xoom, which Google is positioning as the showcase tablet for Honeycomb, the large-screen version of the Android operating system. PCWorld's Melissa J.Perenson was impressed with the Xoom during her hands-on time earlier this month. Now we just need the thing to ship, already.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Motorola's First Android Tablet to Retail for $800

Motorola's First Android Tablet to Retail for $800 [REPORT] - Yahoo! News: "According to information leaked from an anonymous Verizon employee, Motorola's Xoom, a tablet running the long-anticipated Android Honeycomb, will sell for $800.

We got a good look at Xoom during CES this year. It is unique for several reasons.

First, it, along with the Droid Bionic and a lineup of other smartphones, is one of the first Verizon 4G LTE devices.

Second, the tablet is one of the first that will be running Honeycomb (Android 3.0), the tablet-specific fork of the Android mobile operating system. While we've seen Android tablets running version 1.6 and even 2.2 (Froyo), this will be the first instance of an intentional and elegant Android approach to the tablet form factor.

In addition to the new OS, Xoom features a 1080p screen resolution, front- and rear-facing cameras (2MP and 5MP, respectively), an HDMI output, and an accelerometer.

Motorola also says the device 'delivers console-like gaming performance on its 1280×800 display, and features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting for new types of applications. It also features Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction and delivers access to over 3 million Google eBooks and thousands of apps from Android Market.'

The first 3G and Wi-Fi-enabled Xoom units should be available around the end of Q1 2011, and according to new reports from Android Central, the minimum advertised price for the units will start at $800 -- a hefty price tag compared to other gadget options currently on the market.

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2011 CES Best Gadget — Motorola's Xoom Tablet

Courtesy of CNET

CNET's Brian Tong demos the recently crowned Best Gadget of the 2011 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas — Motorola's Xoom Tablet.

Motorola Xoom tablet crowned best CES gadget

Motorola Xoom tablet crowned best CES gadget - Yahoo! News: "Motorola Mobility's Xoom tablet computer powered by new 'Honeycomb' software from Google was crowned the best gadget at the giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Saturday.

Along with being declared the top creation at the dazzling gadget extravaganza, Xoom was also honored as the best of the scores of tablets introduced here as fresh competitors in a market dominated by Apple iPads.

Motorola also scored a victory with its Atrix smartphone designed to work with high-speed 4G wireless networks and which can be used in a dock to power a laptop.

Atrix won the top spot in a smartphone category at the official Best of CES awards.

'We took big risks and they paid off,' said Motorola Mobility chief software engineer Seang Chau. 'We didn't know if people would get it; but obviously they got it.'

US telecom maker Motorola Mobility jumped into the bustling tablet computer market Wednesday when chief executive Sanjay Jha unveiled Xoom at CES.

Motorola Mobility's hotly awaited tablet computer, the 'Xoom,' will be available in the first quarter of the year, Jha said.

With a 10.1-inch (25.6-centimeter) screen, the Xoom is about the same size as Apple's iPad, which hit stores in April and has other leading technology companies around the world scrambling to catch up.

Xoom will be a fierce competitor in the marketplace because Google built Honeycomb software specifically to power tablet computers, according to Jha.

'This is really the next generation of tablets,' Motorola Mobility device team head Alain Mutricy said as he held a Xoom in one hand at the awards ceremony.

'Our partnership with Google has been very intense and has enabled some great technology.'

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Motorola Xoom Android tablet may be first iPad killer

Technolog - Motorola Xoom Android tablet may be first iPad killer: "Though there have been tablets running Android on the market since last year, the Motorola Xoom, debuted today at CES in Las Vegas for the very first time, represents the first real Android tablet sanctioned by Google, running an operating system designed explicitly for tablets. Forget the Samsung Galaxy Tab, forget it completely. This is Google's first attempt to take on the iPad, and it's a worthy one.

The device has a 10-inch widescreen display and is actually a hair thinner than an iPad: Xoom measures 12.9mm at the middle while the iPad measures 13.4 mm. It's a smooth black on black with a rubberized rear. It has two cameras, one in front for videoconferencing, one in back for shooting. Battery life is about 10 hours for video, which should put it in the same company as the iPad. Meanwhile, its 1280x800 display is 16:10, which means it uses almost the entire screen when playing a movie."

The big tease: Motorola, Verizon drop hints about 4G, Android and tablets

CLICK to read article on Yahoo! News: "A 'Honeycomb'-powered tablet from Motorola? 4G-ready Android smartphones on Verizon? Well, neither Motorola nor Verizon Wireless have anything official to say about what they've got in store for the Consumer Electronics Show next month, but that hasn't stopped the mobile giants from teasing us on Twitter and YouTube.

First up is Verizon, which took to its official Twitter feed to hint — oh so subtly — that Android fans hoping for a dose of 4G speed in their next smartphones won't be disappointed.

Verizon won't have anything official to announce until January 6, the day of its CES 2011 press conference, but the carrier was happy to stir the pot Monday with this tweet: 'Jan. 6 at #CES: #Android and #LTE - could it be like peanut butter and chocolate? YUM!'

It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together and make a bold prediction: to wit, that we'll be seeing some 4G LTE (short for 'Long Term Evolution') Android smartphones during Verizon's CES presser, which will focus primarily on the carrier's just-launched 4G data network.

Among the possible 4G Android phones we might see from Verizon next month: this mysterious LG smartphone, which may or may not be a version of the dual-core, Tegra 2-powered Optimus 2X. (The backs of the two phones look slightly different, but hey — you never know.)

Another possibility: the long-rumored HTC Mecha, a.k.a. the Droid Incredible HD — an enticing possibility, although HTC's Peter Chou recently told Mobile World Live that an LTE-ready handset from HTC might not arrive until the second half of next year.

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Motorola back on top

Motorola back on top - Yahoo! News: "Remember when the Motorola RAZR was all the rage? With its simple, ultra-slim flip phone, Motorola was the “It” company in the cell phone business, imitated by everyone but unstoppable in the marketplace.

Motorola ultimately sold more than 110 million of the phones in the four years after it was released, making it one of the best-selling phones of all time.

But by the time the RAZR went off the market in 2007, the mobile industry had left Motorola far behind, with the iPhone arriving just in time to quash the company’s aspirations. No one has thought much of Motorola since, and the company fell on such hard times that the company announced earlier this year it would have to split itself into two pieces in order to stay competitive.

But now, things are turning around for Motorola, all thanks to another cell phone: The Droid.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Droid X First Look

30 - Gizmo gives you the first look at the Motorola Droid X a huge upgrade from the previous version! Includes comparison shots with many popular phones as well!

Google's Android army: Droid X 'sold out'; Nexus One sales to end

Google's Android army: Droid X 'sold out'; Nexus One sales to end - San Jose Mercury News: "Motorola's Droid X — the newest smartphone running Google's Android operating system — 'sold out virtually everywhere' over the weekend at Verizon Wireless stores, an analyst reported Monday.

In an e-mail to clients, Gleacher & Co. analyst Mark McKechnie said his team called 20 Verizon stores across the country over the weekend to find the phone sold out by Friday or Saturday at most locations. All 20 stores were sold out by Sunday, McKechnie said. The Droid X debuted Thursday.

'We are encouraged by positive early feedback, strong initial demand, and general acceptance of Motorola's Droid X,' McKechnie wrote. 'Our first weekend checks, along with expectations for a Droid 2 follow-on for the holidays, increase our confidence that Motorola can meet or exceed its 12- to 14 million unit target' for Android phones sold this year.

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Review: Motorola's Droid X

The first thing you'll notice about Motorola's new phone is its size, Mark Milian says. Read his review at http://bit.ly/c6my36

Joshua Topolsky Shows Off The Droid X and The iPhone 4

Engadget editor Joshua Topolsky stopped by the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Show to show off a very special item that very few people have in their hands: the hotly-anticipated iPhone 4, plus Motorola's Droid X!

First Look: Motorola Droid X (Verizon Wireless)

Verizon added a new member to its Android army today and if you thought the Droid was a beast, then wait till you get a load of the Droid X. Check it out in our First Look.

Verizon, Motorola debut giant Droid X phone

Verizon, Motorola debut giant Droid X phone - Wireless- msnbc.com: "Today in New York, Verizon Wireless and Motorola unveiled the latest Droid-branded smartphone, called Droid X. With a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen, it's one of the largest phones on the market.

The large screen is intended to encourage users to take advantage of Verizon's V Cast video-on-demand service, which now offers movies and TV shows under the Blockbuster brand.

The anticipated phone, which has an 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording, will sell at Verizon Wireless stores and online beginning July 15. It will cost $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, provided the buyer agrees to a 2-year service agreement. (Buyers will have to pay $299.99 up front, then wait to be mailed the debit card containing their $100 rebate.)

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Motorola Cliq: First Smartphone with Social Skills

NerdBoyTV NOTE: Picked up this T-Mobile phone for my 12-year-old son, Brandon, who is VERY well-connected online. He loves the phone and I found this video review on YouTube to pass along to you. Good value and definitely a "fun" smartphone!