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Pair of DROID XYBOARD tablets officially announced by Verizon

Verizon has just made their official announcement that it will in fact be carrying and selling the Motorola XOOM 2. It appears that they have plans to cover nearly every possible customer desire in one fell swoop. Rather than make life easy and call it a XOOM 2 and XOOM 2 Media Edition, they have opted for XYBOARD. Which is another wonderful achievement of device names that will take some time to get used to. As mentioned, there will be two main variants, XYBOARD 10.1 and XYBOARD 8.2. Both screen sized variants will be sporting Honeycomb 3.2 for the time being with Ice Cream Sandwich on the way eventually. Both tablets have a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Gorilla glass displays, a 5MP rear and 1.3MP front camera.

Here is where it gets interesting though. Each variant has a separate memory variation as well. Making you choice even that much tougher.

XYBOARD 10.1

  • 16GB – $529.99
  • 32GB – $629.99
  • 64GB – $729.99

XYBOARD 8.2

  • 16GB – $429.99
  • 32GB – $529.99

Don’t forget, to get these prices you have to sign a two-year contract and pay for a $30 a month 2GB data plan. They will sweeten the pot slightly though, if you buy a DROID RAZR at the same time. Giving you an additional $100 off the tablet and tossing in $50 worth of accessories.

There are other little bits of info that I am certain played a factor in the pricing of these tablets. They both support 4G LTE data connection and a coating of water-repellant nano-particles to protect from accidental spills and splashes. They also are pre-installed with MotoCast, QuickOffice HD and Citrix GoToMeeting.

Launch dates for these new additions to the tablet lie up have not been announced just yet. They simply say “this month”.

Personally, I am not seeing anything that warrants pricing this high for a tablet that still requires a 2 year contract. Seems a bit of a stretch to me, but I guess that its the price you pay to have access to their 4G LTE services. Feel free to check out the full press release below and let us know what you thin about the new line up.

Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility Introduce Next-Generation DROID XYBOARD Tablets on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network

New Tablets Elevate Customers into an Unprecedented Realm of Communication, Entertainment and Productivity; Verizon Wireless Also Offering New DROID RAZRâ„¢ by Motorola in White, Just in Time for the Holidays

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) and Verizon Wireless today introduced two new additions to the DROID family to deliver new and unparalleled experiences on America’s fastest, most reliable 4G network, the DROID XYBOARD tablets.  The two new DROID tablets present new options for consumers looking to stay connected, productive and entertained.  Additionally, Verizon Wireless will debut the trendsetting DROID RAZR™ by Motorola in a flashy new white color, a unique gift for the winter holidays.  All three products will be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The new DROID XYBOARD tablets both boast the blazing speeds of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network and the power of dual-core 1.2 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and MotoCast™ for remote access to non DRM-protected music, pictures, videos and documents stored on work or home computers’ hard drives.  Both are equipped with scratch-resistant displays that use Corning® Gorilla® Glass to stay brilliant and a coating of water-repellent nanoparticles makes them resistant to accidental spills and splashes.

Lighter than a paperback book and thinner than an AAA battery, the DROID XYBOARD tablets feature Android™ 3.2 Honeycomb, brilliant high-definition displays with wide viewing angles, magnesium-reinforced bodies with aluminum housing and super portable form-factors.  Both tablets offer robust Business Ready features, including enterprise-grade security and apps such as Quickoffice HD® for document editing and creation, Citrix® GoToMeeting™ for productivity and collaboration and Google Talk™for video conferencing.

The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is optimized for productivity with stylus support for easy notetaking and markup using a precision tip stylus, included in the box. 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.

Additional features for DROID XYBOARD tablets:

  • 10.1-inch and 8.2-inch high-definition In-Plane Switching (IPS) display for DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and DROID XYBOARD 8.2 respectively
  • Mobile Hotspot Capability – share 4G LTE connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
  • 5-megapixel rear-facing HD cameras with digital zoom, autofocus and LED flash,  optimized for capturing the moment
  • 1.3-megapixel HD front-facing cameras perfect for video chatting with friends and family
  • Dijit™ app allows DROID XYBOARD tablets to double as a universal remote control with an electronic programming guide for TVs, Blu-ray Discâ„¢ players, digital video records (DVR), and most other consumer electronics
  • Support for Google™ Mobile Services including Gmailâ„¢, YouTubeâ„¢, Google Talk, Google Searchâ„¢, Google Maps™ and access to millions of books from Google Booksâ„¢
  • Supports a wide array of separately purchased accessories including an HD station for connecting to speakers and a larger screen, an HD dock to send content via HDMI out to HDTVs and home theater speaker systems and a stylish portfolio with Bluetooth®-enabled keyboard and mouse
  • Wi-Fi Connectivity (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Pricing:

  • Both DROID XYBOARD tablets will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com this month.
  • The DROID XYBOARD 10.1 will be available in three models: 16 GB for $529.99, 32 GB for $629.99and 64 GB for $729.99 all with a new two-year customer agreement.
  • The DROID XYBOARD 8.2 will be available in two models: 16 GB for $429.99 and 32 GB for$529.99 both with a new two-year customer agreement.
  • 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.
  • DROID RAZR in white will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com this month 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 $30monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Special promotion:

  • Customers will receive $100 off a DROID XYBOARD tablet and $50 off select Motorola accessories for a limited time when a customer purchases a DROID RAZR by Motorola with a new two-year customer agreement.

For more 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.