wifi - 6/8 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Mar

Dell Streak 7 WiFi Only Android Tablet On Sale For $379 On Amazon

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in News, Streak 7

Although not yet officially announced by Dell, Amazon has made the Wi-Fi-only version of the Dell Streak 7 tablet available for pre-order on its website for $379.99.

The 4G version of Dell's latest tablet went on sale over a month ago, however its unsubsidized price on Amazon is $449.99. So, the sub-$400 price tag of the WiFi version of this tablet may be an attractive proposition for first time tablet purchasers looking to get their feet wet.

Reviews of this tablet were lacklustre but it may be a compelling device for those looking for a smaller form-factor.

The specifications of this version of the tablet are largely the same as the earlier 4G model, only lacking the cellular radio:

7" WVGA display
Android 2.2 with Dell Stage UI
5MP rear camera
1.3 MP front-facing camera
16GB internal SD storage plus SD card slot
WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS

There is no word yet on when the device will start shipping.

Mar

No More Rumors, It's Official: Wi-Fi XOOM Will Be $599 Starting March 27

Posted by Will Shanklin in News, XOOM

It's another day, and we have yet another bit of news about the Wi-Fi-only Motorola XOOM. Only, this time, the news is nothing less than concrete and final, as Moto themselves announced that the carrier-free version of the the 10.1" beauty will be hitting store shelves on March 27 for $599.

The manufacturer lists the retailers who are lined up to carry the slate later this month, including:

Amazon.com
Best Buy
Costco
RadioShack
Sam's Club (select locations)
Staples
Walmart

While they tell us it will have a $599 price tag, we would recommend keeping an eye on Costco and Sam's Club (if you have a membership already), as they generally sell their goods at lower prices than other retailers.

Mar

Flyer Surfaces Showing Wifi Galaxy Tab Launching April 4 For $399

Posted by Will Shanklin in Galaxy Tab, News, Rumors

Take it as you wish, but a flyer that (according to Droid Life) was passed out by Samsung representatives at a technology fair today clearly shows that a Wifi-only version of the original 7" Galaxy Tab is set to hit store shelves on April 4 at $399.

If this turns out to be legit, it may be viewed as a mixed bag by Android users. On the one hand, it's a quality tablet from a major manufacturer offered for $100 less than the iPad, but on the other hand, this isn't November and the original Tab's specs are easily dwarfed by the current generation of Tegra 2 slates that are becoming available.

Mar

Wi-Fi-Only Motorola XOOM May Be Hitting Staples Stores On April 3 [Update: Employee Training March 23]

Posted by Will Shanklin in News, Rumors, XOOM

The latest in a string of rumors about the upcoming Wi-Fi-only version of the Motorola XOOM comes from the team at Droid Life, who say that the carrier-free model may be hitting Staples stores on or around April 3. The same folks are also now reporting another leak from Staples which shows that employees will get the slate in their hands to begin training on March 23.

This dates come from a tip offered up by a Staples insider. Take it as you wish, but this would be consistent with recent postings from UK site PC World, citing early April as the availability date for the UK market.

Mar

Motorola XOOM + Android 3.0 Review: Sweet As Honey

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Motorola, Reviews, Tablet Reviews, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

Last Updated: February 8th, 2012

The Motorola XOOM: Ever since it was first teased at D: Dive Into Mobile, the Android community hasn't been able to take its eyes off the tablet's dual-core processor, gorgeous 10.1-inch display, and - last but certainly not least - Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system.

Well now the device has officially gone on sale, and I've been ~~testing~~ falling in love with a review unit for the last few days. Typically, I end up hating devices that I adore at first blush, but the XOOM is an entirely different story - the device is far from perfect (where are the tablet apps?), but I have yet to find anything truly upsetting about it.

Mar

Today's iPad 2 News Could Shake Up Tablet Prices - But Not For The Reasons You Think

Posted by Will Shanklin in Android OS, Editorials, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

While we at Android Police don't exactly wait with bated breath to hear what Steve Jobs has to say at Apple announcements like the one for the iPad 2 today, we would be fooling ourselves to pretend that Apple products don't directly affect the market for Android devices. While an Android fan's first reaction to the latest iAnnouncement is often to (understandably) bash the smooth-talking fruit company from Cupertino, I believe that today's events could shake up the tablet market for the better.

The hardware of the iPad 2 is hardly a game-changer. They didn't upgrade their display from the first generation iPad (which always looked a little bit pixelated to me), though they did make it thinner and lighter.

Feb

Now That The Verizon XOOM Is Here, When Will We See That Wi-Fi-Only Model?

Posted by Will Shanklin in Editorials, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

If you began drooling from the very first murmurs of a "Pure Google" tablet running Android 3.0 'Honeycomb', to the buzz at CES, through the anticipation building up to launch: your day has arrived and you likely now have a Motorola XOOM in your hands. Congratulations. Of course that would be the $800 Verizon Motorola XOOM that's in your hands. But what about that $600 Wi-Fi-only XOOM? Not only is it not in anyone's hands, but there has yet to be a confirmed release date either.

With nearly every Android phone capable of generating a wireless hotspot to share its data plan with a tablet, taking on the burden of yet another monthly data bill can seem like an unwelcomed guest to many users.

Feb

Sanjay Jha On Motorola XOOM Pricing: 3G Version Will Cost $799, WiFi-Only Model To Retail For $600

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless, XOOM

Told you so - the price of the XOOM will indeed be significantly less than $1,200 (at least according to Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha). In fact, if you decide to take the WiFi-only route, the tablet will cost just $600 - half of the price Best Buy put up (and subsequently took down). 3G connectivity will come with a $199 premium (jacking the price up to $799), though it's worth noting that the XOOM's radio will see an LTE upgrade sometime down the road.

Of course, there's probably one question on your mind: "How does this look next to Apple's pricing?" Well the cost of the WiFi-only model actually compares favorably - a 32 GB WiFi iPad costs $599, so the two tablets will be neck-to-neck.

Feb

Motorola XOOM $799 + 1 Month Data And $749 Off-Contract Thunderbolt Now Confirmed By Best Buy Circular

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in HTC, Motorola, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), XOOM

If one thing can put an end to rumors, it's the official Best Buy weekly ad - the one you get in print from the store. Unfortunately, this time, all the rumors turned out to be correct. Namely:

As rumored, Motorola XOOM is indeed going to cost $799 and will require a 1-month data package to unlock WiFi. February 24th remains the go-live date. Anyone still up for picking it up? Oh, and the same spelling errors are still present (/sigh).
HTC Thunderbolt's regular, off-contract price is also confirmed at $749.99, just like we told you yesterday. Bummer. 2-year contract price is still $249.99.

Dec

Motorola Gets Back Into The Low-End Android Game - First Pictures Of The Cliq 2 Leak Out

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in CLIQ 2, Motorola, News, T-Mobile

While Motorola's certainly got a few exciting devices in its pipeline - the dual-core Olympus and the Honeycomb tablet both look extremely intriguing - it looks like the company also plans to launch something considerably less high-end: the sequel to its first Android phone ever, the Cliq.

Cell Phone Signal was sent the above pictures of the Cliq 2, formerly known as the Begonia. As you can see, it features a relatively nondescript profile - not too bulky; not amazingly thin - as well as a honeycomb-like keyboard design. However, I wouldn't get my hopes up for Honeycomb on this phone if I were you - MOTOBLUR is clearly visible in the first two images, and Cell Phone Signal was also told that a January 19th release is likely, as is an official announcement at CES 2011.