They say good things happen to those who wait, right? Well, if you’ve been holding onto a Motorola Xoom since it first launched, patiently awaiting its 4G/LTE upgrade, you’ve either remained steadfast, Xoom in hand, or you ended up grabbing the LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1. Those of you with a Xoom still kicking around, your LTE update time has finally arrived and starting tomorrow you’ll be able to send yours in to get your 4G on.
The first Android Honeycomb tablet has seen anything but success. The tablet has been around since late February and it was immediately apparent that the tablet, as well as Android 3.0, wasn’t ready for prime time. Hell, it was only in July that the Xoom’s SD Card slot became functional, and since we’ve already seen the next-gen Xoom tablets floating around the net, it seems that even Moto doesn’t believe in its first tablet.
While it’s certainly good news that the Xoom will soon begin its LTE upgrade, we can’t help but feel bad for those who jumped the gun on this tablet. Since its debut, we’ve seen many Honeycomb tablets land on the market, offering up lighter weight tablets with more functionality, even if they do lack LTE.
Even though we’d still suggest the Galaxy Tab 10.1 with LTE over the Xoom, if you still have your eyes on Motorola’s offering, then you may be happy to know that a Xoom with the LTE radio pre-installed will become available on October 13th for $499.
If you were one of the many that dismissed the Xoom completely for the lack of pre-installed LTE, we can’t say we blame you. Still, we’re just glad to see that the upgrade process isn’t being delayed anymore than it has been and that soon users can cruise the net with Verizon’s 4G network in place.
Did anyone who grabbed a Xoom back in February take it back because of the LTE upgrade delay or have you stayed hopeful?
Press release below:
[Via: Phandroid]
Motorola XOOM™ 4G LTE Upgrade Available Tomorrow
Upgrade to Add the Speed of the Largest 4G LTE Network in America
Sept. 28, 2011
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Sept. 28, 2011 – Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the Motorola XOOM 4G LTE upgrade will be available for existing Motorola XOOM customers beginning tomorrow. The Motorola XOOM 4G LTE will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Oct. 13 for $499.99 with a new two-year contract.
Starting tomorrow, Motorola XOOM customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEupgrade for complete instructions and to begin the 4G LTE upgrade process. Customers who signed up for email alerts will receive an email notification with instructions tomorrow. Customers should expect to get their updated Motorola XOOM with 4G LTE back in approximately six business days. The 4G LTE upgrade is free of charge and customers do not have to change their current data plan when upgrading to 4G LTE. Customers are encouraged to back up any personal information prior to shipping.
Faster speeds and connections enhance the Motorola XOOM experience, allowing customers to download songs in seconds and movies in minutes. Customers should expect average download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE mobile broadband coverage areas. When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, the Motorola XOOM automatically connects to the Verizon Wireless 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.
Key features:
- 10.1-inch widescreen HD display
- 32 GB built-in storage (actual formatted capacity is less), with microSD card slot supporting additional 32 GB
- Android™ 3.2 Honeycomb – supports Google™ Mobile Services including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, Google Search™, Google Maps™, Google Movies™, Google Books™ and Android Market™
- Dual-core 1 GHz processor
- Adobe® Flash® 10- enabling the delivery of rich Flash based web content including videos, casual games and applications
- 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats over 4G LTE, 3G and WiFi
- 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
Data plans:
Motorola XOOM customers will have the option to choose one of the following mobile broadband data plans:
- $30 monthly access for 2GB monthly allowance
- $50 monthly access for 5GB monthly allowance
- $80 monthly access for 10GB monthly allowance
For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.