Motorola CEO Says Xoom Better than iPad – $800 Price Justified

By Bill | February 16, 2011 | 8 comments

Motorola Mobility’s Chairman and CEO, Sanjay Jha confirmed the numerous rumors that Motorola’s new Xoom Android tablet will go on sale for a whopping $800 when it comes out later this month.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Jha met with a group of reporters in Barcelona during this year’s Mobile World Congress and spoke about the company’s upcoming Xoom tablet. Jha confirmed pricing for a 32GB 3G Xoom will start at $799, which is a $70 premium over a similarly configured iPad. Jha didn’t discuss pricing for the WiFi only model, but according to CrunchGear, it is expected to come out later this year with a price tag of $600, on par with Apple’s 32GB iPad with WiFi.

When Jha was asked about the pricing premium compared to the iPad he replied, “We felt that our ability to deliver 50Mb/s would justify the $799 price point. It is 32GB with 3G and a free upgrade to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is important. We feel that from the hardware and capabilities we deliver we are at least competitive and in a number of ways better [than the iPad].”

The Xoom packs in several features, such as dual cameras and Flash support, missing in Apple’s current iPad models so one could argue the extra price is not completely unwarranted. Of course Apple’s not standing still either with the second generation iPad expected within weeks. Once Apple takes the wraps off its latest tablet, it will be telling how big a gap, if any, remains between the Xoom and iPad.

The latest iPad is rumored to pack more memory, a faster processor, improved display, dual cameras, and new slimmer body. If these rumors are indeed accurate, the Xoom’s price can quickly go from premium to uncompetitive and force Motorola to drop pricing or suffer poor sales. The coming weeks will show if Apple has reset the bar or if it’s given its competitors a little breathing room.

About Bill: Contact me via Twitter: @PadGadgetBill

gpxp

You twice said “when it comes out later this year” with respect to the Xoom. I suppose you are technically correct. In this case though, “later this year” happens to be next Thursday. And while I have no doubt ipad will play a little catch up, at best they’ll just be trying to match xoom’s dual core processor and screen resolution and there’s no way in hell apple approves either a card slot or full usb support. And they won’t beat 2 cameras either. And it still won’t have 16:9. Will it match native vpn support or tethering? The xoom has 4 times the RAM of the current top end ipad. Keep digging dude.

spambait11

Uh, how can you shill a product that has yet to prove itself? Battles won on paper are not victories at all. Come back next year and brag only IF the Xoom actually survives the iPad onslaught.

I doubt you’ll be back however.

Nicholas

First off, The Xoom is not an iPad competitor, Neither is the Galaxy Tab 10.1, or the TouchPad. They are obviously iPad 2 competitors, plain and simple, all of those tablets will most likely release within months of the iPad 2, right?

Secondly I should say I’m rooting for the TouchPad, because 16:9 aspect ratio is not the ideal ratio for a tablet, the Xoom and the Galaxy Tab are too skinny. Now They ARE very good for watching videos, but surfing the web is better on the TouchPad and iPad ratio, they are also better for typing, With Xoom it looks like there is very little screen left once you get a good keyboard.

I don’t know, we’ll see when the iPad 2 comes out, and when we get full specs for all the tablets what the real winner is.
Logan

The ratio is actually 16:10 but I agree it is still slim. I have yet to own an Android device but my top two choices are the Xoom and Tab 10.1. Dell info just got leaked showing 2 tablets coming in next few months too and Sony should have something as well. I’m just tired of reading the web on my 3.5″ iPhone
http://na jl

I will wait to buy ipad-2
JT

With all due respect, Mr. Jha is disillusion. Motorola will drop this price or a lot of Xooms will be sitting on the shelves!
Pakk1969

Jha is a moron. I have an Android phone and an iPad. I’ve flashed both Froyo and Gingerbread to my phone in an effort to find a Google OS that didn’t feel like it was thrown together by blind monkeys. Yes, it does a couple of things that iOS can’t, but iOS puts together a better integrated, more stable, fluid user experience that no version of Android can touch. Honeycomb may offer a retooled stock launcher, but the Xoom is still just an Android device, and I’m still not interested.
Jill4tnvols

i owned the new ipad 2 for 15 days then took back to try xoom because i couldn’t use it for which i got it for, which was to play games on facebook, etc. I wouldn’t take 5 ipads for one motorola xoom. When took back i got $179.9 cash back I thought great this will suck, LMFAO it was same hard drive only my new xoom you can always add another 32 hard drive so Boom, also Twice the Speed, other than just not saying apple & not as pretty although mine is now I got purple soft gel cover, protective screen cover, purple pens for touch screen.. no comparison remember you can try & take back see which is best for you, but your getting twice the machine the apple say, compared to Xoom ipad 2 seems like way out of date computer dial up going to XOOM the Speed is UNREAL bigger screen viewing, 100x’s better video & cam. Xooms pics & video is as good as my Nikon. Plus now that Apple CEO died…. idk I just love it & i have friends who are just apple people even if doesn’t do what they need, just because looking cool wanting Apple, lol but after my hounding with videos on youtube comparing letting them use mine guess What they got 2 his & hers Xoom & even went with the 4 or 6g phone & no more Apple Iphone… so does that tell ya something..try it should be called Bomb cause itz da BOMB