
"Everything a tablet should be". The Xoom is the world's first device running Google's tablet-optimised version of Android, version 3.0 aka Honeycomb. Boasting a dual-core processor and the best screen and camera hardware of any device currently available, the Xoom becomes your portable movie theatre and video conferencing device not to mention your satellite navigation system, ebook reader, music player, email and instant messaging client, digital picture frame, social networking client and more. With access to the Android Market on top - you name it, the Xoom can do it.
The official product page is available here - http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Consumers/xoom-android-tablet/us-en/...

Running Android 3.0 "Honeycomb", Google's tablet-optimised version of Android, the homescreen features a 5-screen interface, accessed by swiping to the left or right as with the 7-screen interface on the smaller Smartphone Android devices.
As with the Smartphone version of Android, each and every screen can be populated with a wide variety of widgets providing at-a-glance access to important information which is updated live:

as well as application shortcuts

not to mention the ability to change the background wallpaper

and shortcuts to commonly-accessed settings:


The Android 3.0 interface will be a little unfamiliar at first to users of Android 1.x/2.x devices: apps are accessed by tapping on the "Apps" button in the top right hand corner of the screen; there are also no hardware buttons - navigation being handled by 3 icons permanently displayed in the lower left hand corner. Once you have got used to the new interface, however, you have a streamlined tablet device ideally suited to watching video and reading. The overall neon colour scheme on a dark background works well, and reminded me instantly (and has others) of the film Tron.
The ability to customise the homescreen to such an extent will appeal to users of iOS devices frustrated with the rigidity of Apple's layout or those who simply want all of their important information all in the one place, up to date, without the need to launch specific apps to access the information contained in that app.

The Xoom is a streamlined device out of the box, the application list consists of the following:
There is no "bloat" on the Xoom as with other devices, you are free to download and install those apps from the Android Market that you wish. Running the latest version of Android with an update to 3.1 on the way, the Xoom will support the best the Market has to offer including Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Goggles, Google Translate and more. The bundled versions of YouTube an GMail are designed specifically for the tablet form factor and Android 3.0 interface.
Boasting a 2MP camera on the front, and a 5MP camera with digital zoom and dual LED flash on the rear with auto focus, not to mention 720p HD camcorder and HDMI output capability, when combined with its truly impressive screen resolution (1280x800 WXGA) the Xoom can become the centre of your multimedia life enabling you to capture, share and view those precious moments and watch movies in widescreen format as they were intended...for up to 8 hours on a single charge.
With such a large display the Xoom provides sharper and crisper representation not only of images and movies, but web pages and applications as a whole.
The front-facing camera also makes the Xoom perfect for video conferencing services such as the built-in Google Talk app.
It's hard to imagine anyone using a tablet-sized device as their main digital camera, but it's certainly nice to have, especially useful for capturing images during meetings or presentations.
With a range of exciting accessories available, the Xoom can be used as an AV output device for your HDMI-capable TV or monitor and can also be used with a wireless keyboard and mouse. View the Motorola web site for more information - http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Consumers/xoom-android-tablet/us-en/...

The Xoom features the standard Android 3.0 email client, supporting the ubiquitous POP and IMAP protocols as well as Exchange ActiveSync for business users
For IT administrators the Android 3.0 Exchange ActiveSync client supports the ability to remotely enforce password usage on connected devices, password complexity as well as remote wipe capability and on-device encryption:

Microsoft Office document attachments on emails can also be viewed (editing capability is not possible as standard):

The bundled GMail client is a reworked version of the application designed specifically for the Tablet form factor.
The Music Player includes album art and a carousel-style 3D track browsing interface which makes searching for and locating music not only easy but a pleasure:

The Pulse RSS & ATOM news feed application is pre-loaded onto the Xoom providing a tablet-optimised view of your daily news source updates in an attractive interface:

Google Maps, Navigation and Latitude apps are loaded as standard:


The Motorola Xoom is a powerhouse of hardware. The multitasking capabilities of the Android 3.0 operating system, the impressive battery life and the large amount of storage available make the Xoom feel more like a portable desktop replacement than other devices I have used. With an update to Android 3.1 on the way, which will support USB host mode, the ability to connect a USB mouse and/or keyboard (or games controller) to the device will make it that much more capable as an on-the-go work and play device.
Android 3.0 is still in its infancy and there are relatively few tablet-optimised applications available, but this will change as Google seek to unite the tablet and smartphone branches of application development with "Ice Cream Sandwich", or Android 4.0
Contact Brightpoint GB today on +44 (0)870 849 0225 to check stock availability.
A copy of the quick start guide here.