Motorola launched the company’s first tablet way back in February 2011, and we have chosen that portable computer to start our reviews today. We don’t consider it because we’re that backlogged in mobile devices to investigate. We review the model today because it hasn’t been reviewed here before and because of a very special announcement for the XOOM WiFi-Only model: It gets ICS upgrade in the US as of today! In celebration of the new life the device has been granted, here we are right now.

The model we have on hand is a European model, so some information presented here may not pertain to models purchased around the globe. Hopefully, though, this will show you what you’ve been missing all this time!

Overview

For a first swing with a tablet cricket bat, Motorola did quite all right for itself. It’s a tad on the heavy side, and the imaging resolution could be improved, but this mobile computing device still offers quite a bit to the tablet crowd.

With the upgrade from Android 3.2 Honeycomb to the 4.0.+ Ice Cream Sandwich, it runs even better, smoother and faster than it did before.

Specifications

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Dimensions: 249 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm / 730 g
Display: 10.1 inches / 1280 x 800 pixels at 149 ppi
Operating System: Android 3.0 Honeycomb through 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Speed: 1 GHz, dual core.
Memory: 1 GB RAM / 32 GB internal, expandable another 32 GB via microSD or microSDHC card.
Battery: 10 hours on video playback.
Camera: Rear: 5 MP / immobile / autofocus / dual LED flash. / Video-capable. / Front: 2 MP.
Connectivity: 2G: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz / 3G: 900 / 2100 MHz / Data: 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA /

Features: Light sensor, scratch-resistant glass, proximity sensor. MicroUSB charging connection. Facebook, Twitter, Picasa support. HTML browser. MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / AMR audio player; MPEG4 / H.263 / H.264 video player. Flight mode. Compass, barometer (which are cool!).

Additional comments: From what we have gathered, virtually all the specifications between models are almost identical. The honoured model, XOOM WiFi-Only, is the same with the exception of the 2G and 3G connection frequency ranges.

Overall opinion: For a tablet that is almost a year old, the Motorola XOOM still has quite a lot to offer today’s tablet users. Don’t overlook it due to its age.