On Tuesday Motorola Mobility confirmed the upcoming release of the Droid Xyboard tablet for Verizon’s 4G LTE Network. As reported earlier, there will be two sizes and three capacities starting at $429.99 USD with a new 2-year customer agreement. However Verizon will knock $100 off the price for those who purchase a similarly-designed Droid Razr with a new 2-year customer agreement.
Landing at Verizon this month, the Droid Xyboard tablets will feature either a 10.1-inch or a 8.2-inch high-definition In-Plane Switching (IPS) display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and backed by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. Owners will also have access to a 5MP rear-facing HD camera with digital zoom, autofocus and LED flash, and a 1.3MP front-facing HD camera for video bragging to friends and family on Christmas morning.
Also in the mix is an app called Dijit which allows either tablets to double as a universal remote control with an electronic programming guide for TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, digital video records (DVR), and most other consumer electronics. Other features packed into these two Droid-themed tablets include 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, mobile hotspot capability for sharing Verizon’s 4G connection up to eight Wi-Fi devices, and support for Google's services thanks to Android 3.2 "Honeycomb" (which will be upgraded to v4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" soon).
"The Droid Xyboard 10.1 is optimized for productivity with stylus support for easy note-taking and markup using a precision tip stylus, included in the box," Motorola said on Tuesday. "The Xyboard 8.2 is perfect for portable entertainment with 2.1 adaptive virtual surround sound and a high-definition display for enjoying Netflix movies in up to HD quality, concert-like music and serious gaming. Powered by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, Droid Xyboard 10.1 and 8.2 customers can soar through the Web at blazing speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps within 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas."
Now here's the kicker: these tablets aren't cheap even when setting up a new 2-year data plan. According to Verizon, the 10.1-inch model will cost $529.99 for the 16 GB version, $629.99 for the 32 GB version, and $729.99 for the 64 GB version. Naturally the 8.2-inch model is somewhat cheaper, but will only be offered in two capacities: 16 GB for $429.99 and 32 GB for $529.99. Customers that purchase a Droid Xyboard tablet will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband data plan starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.
Also arriving on Verizon Wireless in December is a white version of Motorola's Droid Razr for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers that purchase a Droid Razr will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.
