Motorola Reveals Droid Bionic, Xoom for Verizon
Motorola announced the DROID BIONIC smartphone and XOOM tablet for Verizon, both supporting the new 4G LTE network.
Wednesday Verizon Wireless issued a virtual library of press releases regarding upcoming gadgets and services ahead of CES 2011. Two of those announcements revealed new Motorola products: the DROID BIONIC for Verizon's new 4G network and the XOOM tablet featuring a verified Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, finally putting to rest all the speculation surrounding the build number assigned to the Honeycomb name.
We've already seen the Motorola XOOM tablet in action already, sporting a dual core processor clocking at 1 GHz for each core, a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800, HDMI output, 1080p HD video playback, a front-facing 2MP camera and a rear-facing 5MP camera with 720p HD video capture. There's also a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting for new types of applications. It also has the hardware for mobile hotspot broadcasting capabilities, however that will likely cost Verizon users an extra monthly fee for the feature.
"Motorola XOOM is a powerful addition to Verizon’s product lineup and builds on our combined leadership with Motorola to deliver innovative mobile devices and service on the Android platform," said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "Motorola XOOM gives consumers complete access and control of their favorite personal content and work files whether through our nationwide 3G network, or through our lightning-fast 4G LTE network as it rolls out around the country."
Verizon said that the XOOM tablet will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi device in Q1 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2 2011. Motorola will also offer a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi version in Q2 2011 as well.
As for the new Motorola DROID BIONIC, this is likely the 2 GHz smartphone Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha was talking about back in the summer of 2010 before executives corrected his mistake by indicating the phone had two 1 GHz cores. Nevertheless, the processing beast has finally arrived a month after its predicted launch date in the form of two sci-fi genres: DROID (Star Wars) BIONIC (Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman).
According to Verizon, the smartphone will pack the reported dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, support for 4G LTE, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 4.3-inch qHD screen delivering "console-quality" graphics, HDMI output, full 1080p video playback, and a handy mirror mode function that simultaneously streams video to the TV and on the device.
"DROID BIONIC is the epitome of speed, providing consumers with instantaneous access to their personal and work content, anytime and anyplace," said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility. "By combining such a powerful mobile device with the performance and capabilities of Verizon’s 4G LTE network, we’re empowering consumers to define how they want to live their mobile lifestyles."
Verizon said that the DROID BIONIC is a fully featured work device, equipped with corporate email, remote wipe and data security and encryption capabilities. It will also provide productivity tools such as Quickoffice for document review and editing, full calendar management, one-click access to conference calling, and a full suite of Google applications and services.
Verizon did not provide pricing or availability.
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Wow the Droid Bionic looks so sexy
So where is the tablet/phone? My employer is waiting on a larger version, perhaps 7 in., of the Droid Bionic or Xoom. We need a device large enough for fat fingers but small enough to attach to the body. It needs phone capability - blue tooth ear piece would be killer. This would be the ultimate device, but am I and my employer the only ones that see the need? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
android 3.0
how can they call the screen HD when its resolution is 960 X 540? Its not even 720p
they call it a 'qHD'. Usually QHD stands for quad high definition w/ resolution of 2560x1440.
when will the driod bionic hit the stores.
Maybe they call it 'qHD' meaning its "quasi" Hi Def, that could be why they used a lowercase q. Having that number of pixels on such a small screen may give it the appearance of being equal in visual quality (pixelwise) to that of a much larger screen with actual 1080p output.
The XOOM looks like the tablet to get. It is a game changer for sure. The 1080p display and the 1080p output are to huge selling points for me. I currently use my G2 with my DISH Network DISH Remote Access (DRA) app and my Sling Adapter to watch live streaming content and have access to my DVR anywhere I have 3g or wifi connection. It is great way to kill time if you have to wait in line like at the Airport. It would look amazing on a display that is 1080p. If you are thinking about getting the Xoom, I would also look at DISH.com and search TV Everywhere. As a DISH employee I can also tell you that DRA is a free app!