Motorola Debuts Two More Xoom TabletsMotorola Debuts Two More Xoom Tablets

Motorola's latest entrants in the tablet market target the enterprise and media-loving consumer, respectively. The Xoom 2 is the heartier of the two tablets and has the larger display and baked-in enterprise features. The Xoom 2 Media Edition offers a smaller display, easier transportability, and less robust software features. Let's take a look.

Shared features of the two tablets include the Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system, which is the tablet-optimized variant of Android. There was no immediate word from Motorola if the devices will be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. They are both powered by a dual-core 1.2-GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage. They will each pack a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, and LED flash. They'll also include 1.3-megapixel user-facing cameras for video chats.

Both will come with the requisite support for Google services, such as Gmail, Google Maps, Google Calendar, Google Talk, the Android browser, and so on.

The Xoom 2 carries forward the same 10.1-inch display of its predecessor, which will be protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass. Motorola also says it will have a splash guard, and tapered edges for easier holding. Speaking of holding, the Xoom 2 is thinner and lighter than the original at 9.99 inches x 6.94 inches x .035 inches, and 1.32 pounds. (That's iPad territory.) The battery will provide up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi Web browsing and a month of stand-by time.

On the enterprise side of the equation, Motorola says the Xoom 2 will include enterprise-grade security and Active Sync for work email, contacts, and calendar; USB and Ethernet connectivity; pre-loaded Citrix Receiver and Citrix GoToMeeting; and MotoCast for streaming work and/or media files from a PC to the Xoom 2.

The Xoom 2 Media Edition dials things down a notch. It also has a Corning Gorilla Glass display, but at a smaller 8.2 inches. In keeping with its name, the Media Edition boasts adaptive virtual surround sound with multiple speakers and what Motorola calls "booming bass."

It is much smaller and lighter than the Xoom 2. The Media Edition measures 8.5 inches x 5.47 inches x 0.35 inches, and weighs a mere 0.85 pounds. Battery life is rated at six hours of Wi-Fi browsing time or, if you like, three straight days of music playback. It will last several weeks in standby mode.

"Tablets are quickly becoming a must-have tool for staying connected, getting work done, and having fun at home and on the road," said Victoria McManus, marketing director for Motorola Mobility, in a statement. "We are very excited about these two new additions to our tablet portfolio that build on the success of the original Motorola Xoom to now deliver more powerful tablet experiences to the European market."

They launch in the U.K. and Ireland first. Motorola has yet to specify if U.S.-specific variants will be sold.

Can these new tablets compete against the Apple iPad? Possibly, though they don't necessarily differ enough from the original Xoom (which isn't selling that well) in terms of capabilities and specs. They have many of the same features. Probably the best feature of the Xoom 2 is that it is thinner and lighter than the original, which was a bit on the chunky side.

More to the point, however, is that these two tablets run Android 3.2--not Android 4.0. With no word on if or when the Xoom 2 or Xoom 2 Media Edition might be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, they are dubious purchases at best.

Enterprise buyers would do better to look at the Motorola ET1, which is a rugged tablet built for productivity on the go.

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