Xoom or doom?
Motorola has revealed its new Xoom tablet will cost a whopping $800 in the US, making it more expensive than Apple's iPad.
The company's mobility chief, Sanjay Jha said the tablet will be 4G compatible on Verizon's network and was therefore worth the extra cash compared to Apple's 32GB iPad with 3G, which costs $729, The WSJ reported.
"We felt that our ability to deliver 50Mb/s would justify the $799 price point. It is 32GB with 3G and a free upgrade to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is important. We feel that from the hardware and capabilities we deliver we are at least competitive and in a number of ways better [than the iPad]," he reportedly said.
Indeed, HEXUS got its hands on the new Honeycomb tablet at MWC and was impressed with its multitasking ability, graphics and speed, predicting it should do well against its competitors.
However, there is also a Wi-Fi only version set to launch in the US and Europe too. While Jha did not reveal the price, he told the newspaper it will be "meaningfully cheaper. The price is set by iPad at $599 [in the US] and we will be right around there."
Jha reportedly said the Nokia-Microsoft tie-up will make it hard for other firms in the market and reckons that the Nokia deal could push some of its competitors towards Android and away from Windows Phone. He said: "Android then becomes a place where there are more players and a much more competitive environment."
He apparently hinted that he found it frustrating to have to link Motorola's tablet so closely with Google's Android OS, and that he wished Motorola had its own OS, but that it does not have the size and manpower to build its own ecosystem. Jha also reportedly admitted that his company had a lot of work ahead in order to win back customers in Europe.
While Motorola's Droid smartphone series has been a hit in the States, the last ‘must-have' mobile in the UK was the Razr, whit hit the shops back in 2005.
Jha reportedly said: "Our brand today is weakest in Europe, and it requires more work and investment. We are repositioning our brand in a way that is new to the Europeans. The last thing Europeans saw from us was the Razr, which was a very voice-centric phone. There is no doubt we have money to spend. Consumers still have high regard for the brand name."
*Update*
Motorola has just confirmed the Xoom tablet will launch in Europe, specifically at The Carphone Warehouse, Best Buy, Currys and PC World in the UK.
The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy will launch the 3G/WiFi version, while Currys and PC World will get the Wi-Fi version in Q2 of 2011. Annoyingly, no details of cost are available just yet, although no doubt the US pricing will give would-be customers a clue.
Graham Stapleton, CCO at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy, said: "2011 will be the year of the tablet. Demand for tablets has already been greater than expected and the next 12 months will see them being adopted by more and more people as new products are unveiled. The Motorola Xoom sets the bar incredibly high; its functionality and ground-breaking features means it offers one of the richest user experiences I've ever seen."
