#1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t)

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Everyone seems to be freaking out about the recently revealed pricing for the upcoming Motorola XOOM tablet. On the surface that seems silly: the XOOM has a dual-core processor, a 1280×720 10.2 inch touch screen, two cameras (a 5MP rear camera with flash and a 2MP ‘webcam’), as well as the latest Android 3.0 operating system. On paper it seems like the XOOM completely blows away the iPad, but as we have learned with the fictitious Samsung Tab sales numbers, having better specs means little.

An article at eWeek lists 10 reasons why the XOOM is overpriced, but there was one that caught my attention:

3. Apple can get away with it, but not Motorola

Apple can get away with selling a device for $829, simply because it’s one of the most recognized and respected companies in the world. But Motorola isn’t Apple and chances are, it never will be. Realizing that, Motorola can’t come too close to iPad pricing. Offering its Xoom tablet for $800 won’t help its cause.

There are more reasons consumers might not want to cough up $800 for a version 1.0 product, that are detailed in the article. One is that $800 has a ‘sticker shock’ factor – even if most people aren’t buying the $500 iPad, they know it is the entry point.

Worse still, according to a leaked Best Buy flyer shown at Engadget last weekend, in order to activate WiFi you need to buy at least one month of a data plan. Here is the flyer:

Is it me, or is that the biggest pile of nonsense ever? I have a WiFi iPad and have only once or twice felt that I could really benefit from the 3G version – it just isn’t a must-have feature for me. If I want a XOOM, the LAST thing I want to do is have to add 3G from the beginning!

What do you think – does the XOOM have a chance, or is Moto setting themselves up for a marginal niche product?

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

7 Comments on "#1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t)"

  1. I agree Michael, their pricing is way too high, they need to be a cheaper alternative touting extra features. Apple have the diehard fan base to be able to put out a Gen 1 product with higher pricetag, Motorola have no such thing.

    Not only that, Apple had millions of people already firmly entrenched in their ecosystem with apps, music and movies that can be shared with their iPods and iPhones without having to repurchase or do anything but plug in a cable (that was already connected to their computer).

  2. Joel McLaughlin | February 8, 2011 at 5:50 pm |

    Part of the reason for at least one month of 3g is the fact that on a Google Experience Android you cannot get to the wifi controls until you sign in to Google on the device. After that, you can turn on wifi and forget about the 3g component. PLUS it seems ONLY 3G enabled devices get the market. So much for wifi only Android tablets with market…

  3. Joel McLaughlin | February 8, 2011 at 5:51 pm |

    The price is crazy too.

  4. RT @GearDiarySite: #1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t) http://goo.gl/fb/op6V2

  5. #1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t) #android

  6. Matt Shiffer | March 9, 2011 at 3:22 am |

    RT @motodev: #1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail http://goo.gl/fb/op6V2

  7. Matt Schiffer | March 9, 2011 at 3:00 pm |

    1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail http://goo.gl/fb/op6V2 #AndroidDev #AnDevCon

Comments are closed.