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Refresh Roundup: week of October 8th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Motorola Xoom 2 says buongiorno to Alitalia's cockpits and cabins (video)
It won't just be Apple and Samsung cornering the in-air tablet market -- Motorola has scored a deal with Alitalia to put the Xoom 2 into every aspect of the Italian airline's flights. Passengers riding high in the Business and Magnifica classes on longer Middle Eastern and Russian flights will now get to use the Android slate if the aircraft doesn't already have an in-flight entertainment system. At the front, attendants will get a passenger manifest app that lets them scratch travelers' itches based on their flight history. And just to form the triumvirate that Italy loves so well, Alitalia will outfit 10 of its lounges with the current Xoom to keep well-heeled passengers on top of the news before they board. There's no word on expansion plans that would let us play FIFA on that next JFK-to-Rome trip, but we can always brush up on our Italian through an illustrative video below.
How would you change Motorola's Xoom 2?
Motorola's Xoom 2 is, undeniably a strong tablet. It was able to beat a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a Transformer Prime in some of our performance tests, battery life is around nine hours and it's nearly running a pure version of Honeycomb. We're a big fan of that display, but less so its unnatural attraction to fingerprints. As we sit anxiously waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich to make its belated way onto the slate, we want to know: what do you think works, what did Motorola scrimp on and what would you change to make it a better device?
Motorola outs Android 4.0 upgrade schedule, adds Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and others to the ICS party list
Ever since the debut of Ice Cream Sandwich, the masses of Motorola owners have yearned to discover when (if?) their devices would receive Android's latest and greatest. Well, Moto's finally let the cat out of the bag, setting out domestic and global timelines for its tablets and phones to get Android 4.0. Xoom WiFi owners here in the states have been enjoying ICS for a month, and Family Edition owners can expect the same tasty treat in Q2 of this year. Folks with RAZRs (including the Chinese MT917 variant) or XT928 (the Chinese evolution of the Droid X) in areas outside the US will be getting ICS in Q2 as well. Atrix 4G, Atrix 2, and Photon 4G owners around the world will have to wait until Q3 of 2012 for theirs, as will Xoom 2 and Xyboard owners. Motorola's blog, Inside Motorola, states that the Bionic, Droid 4, RAZR Maxx, and Electrify will be getting in on the action, too, but its engineers have yet to set a date for their upgrades. Head on down to the source links below to take a gander at the good news yourself.
Motorola Xyboard WiFi models hit pre-order, hit wallet less
Liked those 'iconic' corners but not willing to foot the LTE bill? You'll be glad to hear that WiFi-only versions of the Xyboard duo will arrive at these shores on January 19th. Each model lops $200 off Verizon's LTE models, with the 8.2-inch model priced at $400 for 16GB or double the space for $500. Its bigger brother is priced at $500 for 16GB of storage and $600 for 32GB. Smitten with the idea of an IR emitter in a tablet? The pre-order page beckons below.
Motorola Xyboard 8.2 review
The march of the Honeycomb tablets goes on, playing a tune that's starting to get a bit muted thanks to the promise of fresher beats coming from Ice Cream Sandwich. Still, there are plenty of ways for manufacturers to add their own bit of swing to the same 'ol song. Motorola, of course, paved the way for all these slates with the Xoom. It's hard to believe that first Honeycomb tablet was released just 10 months ago, but now we have its successor, the Xyboard, here in its 8.2-inch guise. At least, that's what it's being called domestically. Elsewhere it's the Xoom 2 (we reviewed the 10.1-inch flavor already), but in America we get a patently unfortunate moniker for a tablet that offers an interesting design at an interesting size with the interesting bonus of LTE. But, all that mobile bandwidth is going to cost you: $430 for the 16GB model or $530 for 32GB if you sign on for a two-year data contract. Does the funky design, convenient size and high-rate connectivity make up for the added cost over something like the class-leading Transformer Prime? Let's find out. %Gallery-141915%
Motorola's Droid Xyboard tablets go up for sale at Verizon, prices start at $430 (update: in stores on December 12th)
Motorola's pair of Droid Xyboard tablets has finally gone up for order on Verizon's site this morning, fulfilling the promise that Big Red made earlier this week. The 8.2-inch version is now available with 16GB of storage for $430, or 32GB for $530 (on a two-year contract). The 10.1-incher, meanwhile, is available in three flavors: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, for on-contract prices of $530, $630 and $730, respectively. All five Honeycomb models, as previously noted, come laced with LTE functionality, and all five are available now, at the source link below. Update: Verizon has just posted a press release confirming the above report. According to the provider, both tablets will hit Verizon's stores on December 12th. Read it for yourself after the break, or check out some high-resolution images, in the gallery below. [Thanks, Jordan] %Gallery-141455%
White Droid RAZR, Xyboard 10.1 and 8.2 tablets to hit Verizon stores this month
Verizon has confirmed that it will begin selling a "flashy new white" version of the Droid RAZR just in time to make an appearance under the tree, with a pair of Xboard tablets shipping this month as well. The Xyboard (Xoom 2) will be available in five flavors -- the 10.1-incher will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities for $530, $630 and $730, respectively, while the 8.2-inch model will ship with 16GB of storage for $430, or 32 gigs for $530. All models require a two-year customer agreement, and include a stylus in the box. And Verizon will help soften the damage if you opt for a complete Droid makeover -- customers who pick up both a $300 RAZR and one of five Honeycomb Xboards will be eligible for a $100 discount when buying the phone with a two-year contract. Thinking about picking up an ICS-ready Droid? Jump past the break for the full feature rundown from VZW.
Motorola Droid 4 with LTE, Xoom 2 Media Edition with AT&T bands hit FCC
Motorola's been on a FCC-approving rampage lately, and we have two more entries to add to the mix. The first is what appears to be the QWERTY-packing Droid 4: not only does it come with Verizon's LTE band 13 and CDMA / EVDO (with GSM / EDGE / WCDMA on the side, locked to all US carriers), the docs make mention of the Droid 4's rumored 1,785mAh battery and shows test results with "slider open" and "slider closed." Also passing through the governmental agency's doors is what appears to be a GSM 3G version of the Xoom 2 Media Edition with AT&T-compatible (850 / 1900) GSM / WCDMA bands. Unlike the Xyboard that made its way through the FCC a few days ago, this one lacks LTE or CDMA / EVDO. Check out the gallery below for a few images gleaned from the docs. %Gallery-141087%
Verizon lights one candle for LTE, confirms Xyboard Droid tablet name, December launch
Today marks one full year after Verizon first flipped the switch on LTE, with 365 days of 4G speeds for customers in 39 markets. By the end of next week, Big Red will light up a few more cities, bringing the total number to 190, with access available to more than 200 million Americans. Buried below the PR cake, however, is an even juicer tidbit -- two "hot new Xyboard Droid tablets from Motorola coming out this month." And what might those be? Well, if this weekend's accessory leak is any indication, the Xoom 2 is headed to VZW -- before the year is out. And we're not surprised to see the Galaxy Nexus getting some love as well, though you'll have to make due with a "coming soon" release commitment for at least a short while longer. Jump past the break for the PR.
Motorola Xoom 2 review
Motorola's Xoom 2 arrives at a point where Apple's iPad (first- or second-generation...) still dominates the tablet market. The original Xoom was the first tablet to arrive with Android Honeycomb, an OS dedicated to the tablet form. In the months since we gave it a middling review, plenty more tablets arrived, faster, thinner, and more longevous (like the Galaxy Tab 10.1). So what now? Well, Motorola has recast its Xoom: it's made it faster, slimmer and lighter. They've beefed up the disappointing screen found on the original, it's now a Gorilla Glass-coated IPS screen that promises 178-degree viewing angles. But Motorola has also cut more corners than the four you see before you -- ones that it hopes customers won't miss. However, with a certain quad-cored, ICS-imminent transforming tablet already stealing the hearts of many an Engadget reader (and editor), does this slimline sequel do enough to make up for its past mistakes? Is there now enough in the Android market to make Google-powered tablets a viable alternative to the iPad? Is £396 ($620) now too much to pay for a 16GB Android tablet that's merely dual-core? We'll be sure to try and answer all these right after the break. %Gallery-140928%
Droid Xyboard accessories arrive at Verizon, can't hide from Mr. Blurrycam
If you've had any doubts regarding the likelihood Motorola Mobility's Xoom 2 LTE tablets arriving at Verizon under the Droid Xyboard moniker, Mr. Blurrycam would like you to have a gander at the picture above. Following the 8.2 and 10.1-inch variants being handled by CNET last week, and soon after caught passing through the FCC, a trio of snapshots have now been posted over at Droid-Life of what's said to be some the device's optional accessories. Among the lot, you'll find a Smart Cover-esque Protective Portfolio for the 8.2-incher, two versions of an HD dock, and lastly, set screen films for the 10.1-inch version. While there's still no definitive word on price or availability, it certainly appears like a formal reveal of the slates will be zooming in imminently. Hit the source link below for all the details.
Motorola Xyboard tablet says hello to FCC, totes Verizon LTE bands (update: two tablets!)
Could this be the Motorola Xyboard Media Edition with Verizon's LTE making its way through the FCC? The tablet sports LTE band 13 -- Big Red's particular flavor -- as well as CDMA / EVDO. It also technically houses GSM / EDGE / WCDMA functionality, though the government documents state that it's SIM-locked and disabled by firmware. The docs also give us a good healthy diagram of its back, which clearly shows the same outline and angled corners seen on the Xoom 2 Media Edition, as well as the same camera and LED flash configuration (seen in the gallery below). Our prediction: what we're seeing here is Verizon's iteration of the 8-inch Xyboard Media Edition complete with LTE. Hopefully we'll learn soon enough, and we'll keep digging in the meantime to see if we can uncover any other interesting nuggets of info. Update: Shortly after the 8-inch version cleared the FCC, its 10-inch sibling -- also bearing Verizon LTE -- made it through as well. We're likely seeing the pair of Xyboard tablets that we reported on earlier today. %Gallery-140968%
Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video)
What's this oddly curved box we see before us? Ah, yes, it's Motorola's (joint) second attempt at the Android tablet game. The Xoom 2 is another 10.1-inch widescreen Honeycomb offering, looking to make up for the lost opportunities of its predecessor -- slimmer, faster and certainly packing more vertices. While we put it through its paces, we thought you'd appreciated some close-up shots with what appears to be the final retail model. First impressions? Those corners certainly do help keep it in our hands, and performance seemed suitably speedy. It's worth noting that -- at least on first impressions -- Motorola hasn't tampered excessively with the Honeycomb, something we weren't too happy about on Moto's Droid RAZR. We also suspect that splash-proof nanotech coating could also be acting as fingerprint magnet. Delve into the secrets of the fitted retail box, some tablet comparisons and a touching reunion with its smartphone sibling in our gallery below, or catch a brief video tour after the break. %Gallery-140523%
Motorola Xoom 2 hands-on (video)
Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition hands-on (video) Panasonic Toughpad A1 and B1: the tablets you can drop and pick back up again Motorola Xoom a bit slow boomerangin' back with 4G LTE update Motorola has just unveiled two new tablets in Europe, and we've managed to get our grubby mitts on them. This one is the Xoom 2, the (almost) same-size successor to Moto's first Android tablet. Matching its older sister's 10.1-inch Gorilla Glass screen, there's now an all-over splash resistant coating (inside and out), with those intriguing cut-off corners we've seen already there to aid the ergonomics of handling the slab. Add to that, Motorola's new intelligent grip suppression, which means you can hold the screen and navigate with your other hand without hindrance. It runs Honeycomb 3.2, and gains an improved 1.2GHz dual-core processor inside, with a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, and a five megapixel shooter on the back. Comparing the tablet to its predecessor, you won't believe how much thinner it is -- this is Galaxy Tab 10.1-scale skinniness. Motorola also boast that it's now 100g lighter than the original Xoom, but we still get an HDMI port, microUSB connectivity and 16GB of storage, not to mention stylus functionality, though the capacitive pen is sold separately. The Xoom 2 itself has now been priced up at £379.99 and you can check out those cut-off corners in our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-138342%
Motorola Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition get official (video)
Not exactly one for the shocking column here, but Motorola has officially revealed the Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition today.The Xoom 2 rocks a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 3.2, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 10.1-inch display.It also offers up front and rear-facing cameras at 1.3 megapixel and five megapixel, respectively, Motorola Xoom 2 hands-on (video) Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition hands-on (video) Motorola's Xoom 2 tablets pair up for a portrait, both at around 9mm thick plus Motorola's new Splash-guard protection. The Xoom 2 Media Edition features similar specs, save for its 8.2-inch display size, which, like the standard Xoom 2, has Gorilla Glass protection. It also promises a 20-percent improvement over the original Xoom in the graphics department, which, along with a 178 degree viewing angle make the tablet optimized for media consumption, as the name implies. Thus far, availability for the similarly named tablets has only been announced in the UK and Ireland, where the WiFi versions hit around the middle of this month through retailers like Carphone Warehouse. Update: For those wondering, Motorola has now confirmed to Pocket-lint that both tablets will indeed be getting an Ice Cream Sandwich update, which should come six weeks after Motorola receives the goods from Google (although it's not clear when that will happen).%Gallery-138297%
Motorola Xoom 2 officially priced at 400 Euros, coming this Christmas to Carphone Warehouse
For those unaware, Carphone Warehouse is a warehouse that sells carphones in Europe, Jupiter and other locales in the known galaxy. It also sells smartphones and tablets. And according to the leaked flyer that we've acquired, the long-awaited Motorola Xoom 2 (or Xoom II, as it were) will be landing in Ireland before Christmas. The price? €399.90, or around $545, for the WiFi-only edition with 16GB of inbuilt storage. Other specs include Android 3.2 (what, no Ice Cream Sandwich?), an 8.2-inch touchpanel, and much, much more. In fact, CW calls it "everything a tablet should be." Truth in advertising? You be the judge. [Thanks, Artyom]
Mystery Motorola devices headed for Verizon, could be the long-awaited Xoom 2s?
Is Big Red gearing up for a tag team Moto tablet refresh? From the looks of this internal screen grab (and the oodles of pre-release leaks), that may very well be the case. Despite the lack of official confirmation from both parties, we're pretty certain those two mystery model numbers shown above -- MZ617 and MZ609 -- belong to the oft in-the-wild spotted Xoom 2 and its 8.2-inch "Media Edition" sibling. Unfortunately, that listed October 23rd date has come and gone with nary a mention of the slates' existence, so we'll just have to content ourselves with evidence of their apparent 4G capabilities and storage configurations. Folks keen to snag the full-fledged 10.1-incher will purportedly be able to select from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, whereas lil' bro Fleming offers up 16GB and 32GB options. With Google's Motorola acquisition looming overhead, these could be your go-to tabs for an unadulterated Ice Cream Sandwich experience. And, hey, at least they'll ship with LTE this time.
Mystery Moto tablet swings through the FCC, refuses to take any questions
What exactly is this mystery device that just shuffled through the FCC? Well, it's definitely a Motorola tablet and a member of the Xoom family, but beyond that we can't tell you much. The FCC ID, which ends in 56MJ3, makes it clear that this is part of Moto's flagship tablet line, but whether this an upcoming Xoom 2 or simply a souped up variant of the original Honeycomb slate is unclear. The filing makes no mention of cellular connectivity, only WiFi and Bluetooth, but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't any on board. We do know that, whatever this turns out to be, it sports an HDMI out, 1GB of RAM, a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, a 1200 x 800 screen and comes in 16, 32 and 64GB varieties. If you're in the mood to dig through the test reports yourself, check out the source link.
Motorola's Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger. event liveblog!
The countdown is almost at an end. And that means it's time for some serious Daft Punk-referencing Motorola action. What can we expect today? The Spyder / Droid RAZR handset? The sequel to the Xoom? Perhaps an early taste of Ice Cream Sandwich? All of these answers and more will be revealed at 12PM ET. Psst... and toss your own time zone / day in comments below! 06:00AM - Hawaii (October 18th) 09:00AM - Pacific (October 18th) 10:00AM - Mountain (October 18th) 11:00AM - Central (October 18th) 12:00PM - Eastern (October 18th) 05:00PM - London (October 18th) 06:00PM - Paris (October 18th) 08:00PM - Moscow (October 18th) 01:00AM - Tokyo (October 19th) Photos by Zach Honig.
