Skip to main content

Motorola Xoom: $800, will launch Feb. 24

bestbuy_xoom_motorolaRumors surrounding the launch date of the Motorola Xoom have been all over the place. But now, a new Best Buy advertisement seems to have given us some concrete details: The tablet will launch on Thursday, February 24, for the price of $799.99, Engadget reports.

The news confirms our earlier report that the Xoom would run around $800. But the pesky launch date seems to change every time new information comes out about the Motorola tablet. (So, don’t be surprised if the date changes again before the tablet actually hits stores.)

Regardless of the exact release date, it is safe to say that the Xoom’s launch is getting closer.

Those who watched the Super Bowl last night were treated to a new Xoom ad, which payed homage to Apple’s famous “1984” ad. (In fact, the Motorola spot takes direct aim at Apple by featuring a hoard of automatons dressed in all-white hoodies, with little ear buds sticking out of their ears.)

Watch the ad:

Following the ad’s release, a new promotion site for the Xoom landed online.

From what we know so far, the Xoom is the first device that can stand up to the iPad’s dominance in the tablet arena. So Motorola’s provocation of Apple in its ad is, it seems, completely warranted. (How that plays out in terms of actual numbers sold of course remains to be seen.)

The Xoom runs on the new Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system,  comes loaded with 32 GB of internal storage and two cameras (a 2 MP front-facing one and a 5 MP rear-facing one), and sports a 10.1-inch, 1280×800 touchscreen — slightly larger than the iPad.

Available exclusively on Verizon, the Xoom is also 3G-compatible, with a 4G upgrade expected later this year.

The monthly 3G plans range from 1 GB for $20 up to 10 GB for $80, which is convenient for those who don’t often use the wireless service. But according to the Best Buy ad, users won’t even be able to connect the device to Wi-Fi without at least a 1 month data subscription. So, if you were wondering, that’s where they get you.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
The 5 best ring lights for phones in 2024
The Lume Cube Ring Light Pro with a phone.

There are lots of different types of ring lights, but they all have the same primary purpose -- provide a steady light source that will illuminate your subject, whether that's an object, another person, or yourself. If you need a ring light for your phone, there's also an overwhelming number of options, so to help you out, we've rounded up the best ring lights for phones right here. We're going to take you through our recommendations, their advantages over other ring lights for phones in the market, and our selection process that resulted in our top five choices below.

Whether you're a travel vlogger, a video game streamer, or any other kind of content creator, and you prefer using your phone over a dedicated camera or webcam, then you should check out the best ring lights for phones that we've gathered here. Even if you're only going to use it for your personal photos and videos, it's always better to have nice lighting that will simply make everything look nicer, especially in low-light environments. Not everyone needs a ring light for their phone, but for those who do, read on to determine the one that would be perfect for you.
The best ring lights for phones in 2024

Read more
This Android phone is a surprisingly great buy at $100
The Moto G Power 5G and Moto G 5G phones in a render.

If you’ve been shopping the best phone deals or are otherwise looking to save on a new phone, we’d like to turn your attention to Motorola. At Motorola right now you can get the Moto G Android phone for just $100. This is essentially an entry-level phone as smartphones go these days, but this savings of $70 from its regular price of $170 makes it a good consideration and one of the best Motorola phone deals you'll find. It’s not everyday you can grab a new phone for just $100, and you can save even more if you have an eligible device to trade-in.

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G smartphone
You aren’t going to find the Motorola Moto G ranked among the best phones or among the best Android phones, but that doesn’t mean it’s a phone to avoid. And while we aren’t particularly high on the device in our review of the Motorola Moto G, the price point it comes in at with this deal makes it something worth considering if you’re in the market for a new phone. It comes in navy blue with 32GB of internal storage, which isn’t very much as modern smartphones go, but the Moto G does make up for it with some of its other specs and features.

Read more
This is one of the cheapest 5G phones worth buying today
The Moto G 5G held in a hand with its screen illuminated.

Head straight to the source for one of the best phone deals right now with Motorola selling its Moto G 5G phone for $150 instead of $250. A considerable saving of $100, this might not be the most high-end of phones but it’s ideal if you simply need something cheap but effective. With this 2023 model seeing such a substantial price drop, we’re taking a quick look at what it has to offer and why it might appeal.

Why you should buy the Moto G 5G
You won’t see the Moto G 5G near our look at the best phones. At just $150, that’s hardly surprising. However, it does have the core essentials going for it. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 480+ 5G processor and 4GB RAM which is fine for basic tasks and web browsing. It can handle gaming too if you don’t mind somewhat sluggish load times. Crucially, the phone is 5G compatible so depending on the area you live in, you can enjoy the fastest speeds when browsing online away from Wi-Fi.

Read more