First Google tablet now expected in July due to price cutting effort

First Google tablet now expected in July due to price cutting effort
By Verge Staff on April 6, 2012 04:13 am on Theverge.com

Google’s first foray into the tablet market with a co-branded Android device won't be with us until July at the earliest. The current design was ready to go for May, but Google pushed back the planned release so it could tweak the device, sources close to the project said on Friday.

The Mountain View team plans to make some design changes and hopes to lower the price from the current $249. The tablet, made in partnership with Taiwan’s Asustek Computer, currently comes with a 7-inch screen, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, and is Wi-Fi-only. It runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. The $249 price tag on the current Google-Asustek tablet is higher than previous reports of a $149-$199 device. Amazon’s Kindle Fire, another 7-inch tablet that retails for $199, is the obvious competitor that Google will be taking on in that size and price range.

There are also reports that Apple is planning a smaller tablet with a 7.85-inch screen, called the iPad mini, which Google may be trying to preempt. Some reports have suggested Google wants to delay its tablet until after June so it can install the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean, but that’s unlikely, the sources said. The current product is designed for Android 4.0, and new software could cause a much longer delay. Asustek is working with Google the way the US internet giant partnered with companies on Android Nexus smartphones, to make better phones and to jumpstart the market. Manufacturers say the co-branding was a huge boost, since Google is a household name. The co-branding strategy in Android tablets opens the door for a number of other companies to work with Google in the future, including Samsung Electronics, Acer and others.



Source: http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/6/2929707/google-tablet-july-launch-exclusive

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime vs Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition

Paul Briden

We compare the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime to Motorola's 8.2-inch Xoom 2 Media Edition

Published on Dec 9, 2011

We take a look at the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime to see how it stacks up against Motorola’s new Xoom 2 Media Edition.

Form

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime - 263x180.8x8.3mm, 586g

Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition - 216x139x9mm, 386g

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is one good-looking device. The chassis is made from spun aluminium, giving it an interesting texture and the build quality is second to none.

Other elements which are pleasing to the eye include the nicely sized and spaced bezel around the screen, elegantly shaped corners and a svelte 8.3mm thin profile.

Overall it’s very minimalist in style which goes well with the futuristic-looking metallic finish. The attachable keyboard dock is as thin as the main tablet and equally stylish.

Motorola’s new generation of Xoom tablets have had a complete redesign, which is quite striking to behold. Instead of the usual rectangular shape Motorola has echoed the design of its Razr smartphone handset with angular and tapered edges and corners.

Again the bezel space around the screen is a flattering size and aluminium has been used for the construction of the outer shell, though not quite as extensively as on the Asus.

The Xoom 2 Media Edition is extremely light and thin coming in at 386g and 9mm thick – that’s an 8.2-inch tablet which is lighter than many 7-inch tablets.

We think both devices, despite being very different, have fantastic design elements and are very appealing to look at.

However, the Xoom 2 Media Edition is just that bit more eye-catching with some very individual styling.

Winner – Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition

Display 
The Xoom 2 Media Edition has an unusually sized display at 8.2-inches – the first of its kind. It’s a TFT capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch and made from toughened Gorilla Glass.

The resolution clocks in at 1280x800 pixels giving a pixel density of 184 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

The Transformer Prime has a larger screen at 10.1-inches and uses a Super IPS + LCD technology, which results in a much brighter display.

It’s a capacitive multi-touch screen, again made from reinforced Gorilla Glass, with the same 1280x800 pixel resolution at a lower pixel density than its rival at 149ppi.

The Motorola’s display may be smaller, though not by much, but it’s got a much sharper picture and higher pixel density making it our choice this round.

Winner - Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition

Storage 
Motorola’s tablet is a little limited on storage space, especially with a name like 'Media Edition.' At 16GB and no card support there's not much to play with here.

So what's a user to do? Simple: use Motorola’s MOTOBLUR cloud service to stream content directly from your home computer, which supposedly works even if you’re miles away (we're talking a different country here), to the slate. 

We understand the logic: everyone needs to flock to the cloud. But what if you're not bothered about the cloud? Surely it'd be better to give consumers the best of both worlds, like Apple does with its iPad and iCloud? 

Apart from the internal storage, the Xoom 2 Media Edition is also packing 1GB of RAM to assist the processor in its duties.

Asus’ Transformer Prime is much more handsomely equipped on internal storage with options for 32GB or 64GB onboard. It also has 1GB of RAM like its opponent but unlike the Motorola it has a card slot with support for microSD up to 32GB.

We have to side with Asus on this one.

Winner - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime