Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 Review

This is a short review of the Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 (which is identical to the Motorola XOOM 2), as it shares many of the same features of the DROID XYBOARD 8.2 that we reviewed in detail here.

Introduction:

Last month Verizon released two new Motorola tablets, both of which are the first to receive the “DROID” branding: the DROID XYBOARD 8.2 and DROID XYBOARD10.1. The first Motorola tablet that Verizon released which ran on the Android Honeycomb operating system was the XOOM, but it didn’t go over well, as it did not initially ship with LTE built-in (and the LTE Upgrade was delayed for several months). But this time around, Motorola seems to have got their act together, as both of these DROID tablets have LTE right out of the box. So what’s the difference between these two DROIDs? Simply put, it’s the screen size – at 8.2” and 10.1” respectively. This has become common in the Tablet marketplace, as some customers prefer a larger screen, while others want a more compact tablet with smaller screen.

Included in the retail box is the Motorola DROID 10.1 tablet (available with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of internal memory), wall charger, microUSB data cable, stylus pen, and user guides.

Design:

The Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 isn’t overtly big, coming in at 6.8”H x 9.9”W x 0.34”D, but does feel a bit heavy at 1.3 lbs. The device appears well built, almost like a tank, using premium materials, which gives it a nice sturdy feel. It has angled corners, just like the DROID RAZR smartphone, which give it an aggressive styling, and we welcome the soft-touch coating on the back edges.


The 10.1” IPS-enhanced HD Display carries the same 1280x800 resolution as its 8.2” brother. Colors are vibrant but we did notice some loss in contrast   when viewed at extreme angles, which in regular daily use is not a concern.


On the right back-edge is the power/lock button and volume rocker. They can be a bit difficult to locate at times, since it has the same soft-touch coating on it and doesn’t protrude any. Along the bottom edge is the 4G SIM card slot and the microUSB and microHDMI ports, and up on top is the 3.5mm headset jack and IR blaster, which can be used with the Dijit app to turn the tablet into an universal remote control. Above the display is a 1.3MP camera, and on the rear is a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash that can also record HD videos. On either side of it is a pair of stereo speakers that does remarkably well with music playback.

Functionality and Internet:

The Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 comes with the standard Android 3.2 Honeycomb user experience, which offers plenty of personalization with its variety of icons, wallpapers, and widgets, but it doesn’t particularly bring any new to the table from what can be found with other Honeycomb tablets. We hope it will get an update to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.


Entering text on the 10.1” screen with the virtual QWERTY keyboard is easier than on the 8.2” model, as the keys are larger in size, allowing for a more natural typing experience. You also have the choice of using the stock keyboard, Swype, and Swift Tablet X keyboard. There is also a new MyScript Stylus input that shows a white square on the screen that you use the included stylus pen to draw the letters on, which is then converted to text. We didn’t really care for this method of text input, but the stylus is handy for drawing images or making quick notes.


The GMail and standard email app are appropriately laid out to take advantage of the spacious screen available with the tablet – so organizing emails is a pleasure to handle. Moreover, setup is a breeze seeing it simply requires your email address and password for automatic completion, though you can do it manually for POP and IMAP accounts.



Processor and Memory:

Located in the bowels of the Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is the 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. It does a good job with loading and running pretty much any app that you can through at it – though we did notice some stuttering when using Live Wallpapers and moving between the 5 homescreens. When running the Quadrant Benchmark app, we got a score of 2957, which is good, but still slightly less than some of the competition. Next up was the AnTuTu benchmark app, which gave a score of 5745, again nothing to sneeze at, though it is much lower than quad-core the Asus Transformer Prime.



Internet:

One of the best uses of the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is its internet functionality. The web browser is a pleasure to use with the large screen, and makes viewing web sites a more enjoyable experience. Making use of Verizon’s 4G LTE data network, we were able to fully load our PhoneArena.com web site in 20 seconds. Also, when using the SppedTest.net app, we were able to achieve downloads of 10 Mbps and uploads near 5 Mbps. But if you are outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, the tablet can also use 3G EVDO Rev A, as well as Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, and has built-in HotSpot capability.

Camera:

The 5MP autofocus camera on the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is the same one that is found on the DROID XYBOARD 8.2. Pictures that we captured are acceptable, but by no means awe-inspiring, as colors were a bit dull, images are not sharp, and the auto white balance had difficulty at times. Though the LED flash did fine for illuminating dark environments.





You can also record videos at 1280x720p resolution at 30 frames-per-second. Again, colors are a bit drab and the video isn't as sharp and clear as we would have preferred, but again it’s reasonable for on-the-go recording.

Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 Sample Video:



Multimedia:

With the stock Honeycomb music player, we’re always pleased by its ease-of-use, but it’s becoming somewhat conventional at this point. For watching movies, the 10.1” IPS HD display shines and was able to playback 1080p video just fine (despite the display’s lower 1280x800 resolution). The dual stereo speakers with virtual surround sound also did a fine job giving a movie-like experience.


Mentioning it earlier, the tablet packs along an IR blaster that goes hand-in-hand with the preloaded Dijit personal media application. Essentially, it offers the full functionality of any universal remote – like being able to control all of your home theater equipment. Honestly, it’s neat considering the tablet replaces one common living room gadget we’re accustomed to losing while sitting back on the couch. Though at 10.1”, it makes for one big remote!

Battery:

The massive 7000 mAh battery on the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 is rated to provide up to 8 hours of web browsing over 4G LTE or 10 hours when using Wi-Fi, or over 10 hours of video playback on a full charge. This is about 3-4 hours more browsing time than the DROID XYBOARD 8.2 with its 3960 mAh battery.

Conclusion:

When it comes right down to it, it’s a tough choice to choose a Verizon 10-inch tablet. When comparing he Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, both offer an array of high-end features and have the exact same price ($629 for the 32GB models with 2-year contract). We prefer the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 as it has a better overall feel to it, due to the premium materials used, which gives it extra durability for daily use. However, it comes a few months later but doesn't bring any significant improvements. In addition, with technology continuing to improve, it seems like there’s always a new tablet coming out, making it only a matter of time until the next big thing.