Droid Xyboard tablets out soon

Verizon Wireless

By Athima Chansanchai

You have to give Android props for persistence, as two new Droid tablets are set to enter a market dominated by the iPad and now, the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Powered by dual-core 1.2 gigahertz processors and operating on Android 3.2 Honeycomb (until the 4.0 Android Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is released), the new Droid Xyboard tablets will run on Wi-Fi or Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network when they come out later this month.

The tablets, which are available in an 8.2-inch and 10.1-inch versions, will range in price from $430 (16GB 8.2) to $730 (64GB 10.1) with new?2-year contracts with a $30 minimum data plan.?(If you're planning on getting a Droid Razr, which is also coming out in white for the holiday season, you can get $100 off the Xyboard tablet.)

Live Poll

Are you going to get a tablet this holiday season?

• 170251

  YES. And it will be an iPad.

  27%

• 170252

  YES. And it will be an Android.

  33%

• 170253

  YES. And it will be an Amazon Kindle Fire.

  7%

• 170254

  YES. And it will be a Nook Tablet.

  7%

• 170255

  NO. And I'm just fine with that.

  27%

VoteTotal Votes: 15

The tablets are said to be "lighter than a paperback and thinner than an AAA battery" and aim for consumers who use their tabs as media hubs, with an emphasis on viewing videos, photos and documents with its "high-definition displays with wide viewing angles" and magnesium-reinforced bodies with aluminum housing. The 8.2 Xyboard has 2.1 adaptive virtual surround sound to go with its HD display, which could make those Netflix movies and shows quite appealing to enjoy on the road.?

It's not all for play, either. The 10.1 Xyboard might also catch the eye of studious students and professionals who have a tendency to take notes wherever they go (raising hand here) with its stylus.?They are also "Business Ready, meaning they offer enterprise-grade security and productivity features; and they feature software unique to Motorola such as MotoCast for near-instant access to files stored remotely on your home or work PC or Mac."

In another cool nod to the increasing multi-functionality of the tablet experience, the Dijit app converts the Xyboards into a universal remote control for TVs, Blu-Ray players, DVRs and other devices.?

The Xyboards come with?1GB of RAM and MotoCast, which gives users?"remote access to non DRM-protected music, pictures, videos and documents stored on work or home computers? hard drives." For the rougher, clumsier users (raising hand again) and those with little ones, the tablets come with scratch-resistant displays and a coating of water-repellent nanoparticles, which are supposed to make them resistant to the occasional liquid oopsie.?

Other perks of the tablets include:

• Mobile Hotspot Capability ? share 4G LTE connection with up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 5-megapixel rear-facing HD cameras with digital zoom, autofocus and LED flash
• 1.3-megapixel HD front-facing cameras?

But will the Xyboards be hot enough to beat back the iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire one-two juggernauts this holiday season? You tell us.

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Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9093444-droid-xyboard-tablets-out-soon

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