Motorola Xoom 2 Tablet Media Edition Review

Motorola is just one of the many manufacturers struggling to tread water in the tablet market while Apple sits happy with stellar iPad sales and a seeming monopoly on success in this sector. However, the Xoom 2 Media Edition (ME) does a few things differently which could help it to define itself as distinct from the iPad and its ilk, thus securing it a slightly more favourable position in the consumer consciousness.

What makes the Xoom 2 ME particularly interesting is its display, because it seems to fit into none of the niches created by its rivals. At 8.2 inches across the diagonal it is smaller than the 9.7 inch screen of the iPad 2 or the 10.1 inch display of the full sized Xoom 2. But it is also that bit bigger than seven inch tablets like the Amazon Kindle Fire or the BlackBerry Playbook. For some users this screen could represent the sweet spot between available display area and tablet portability. The smaller display translates into a device which lends itself to being held for extended periods and carried around all day.

It weighs in at less than the Kindle Fire and is a third lighter than the iPad 2, so in terms of ease of use it is difficult to beat. You will not find that your wrists tire as quickly as they might if going for a one handed grip on any of its immediate rivals. Weight is so rarely seen as a top priority in the tablet market, but the Xoom 2 ME suggest that it should be. On the inside you get most of the same hardware as you will find on a full sized Xoom 2, which means a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 16GB of storage space and connectivity including Wi-Fi and GPS.

You also get two cameras; one on the rear for 720p video recording and five megapixel still capture and a secondary snapper located on the front of the tablet in order to let you make video calls. The main difference is that the battery is just a 3700mAh unit which is a little less spectacular than the 7000mAh cell you will find on the first Xoom 2, which does mean that trips to the charger should be more regular. There is a micro HDMI output onboard the Xoom 2 ME to let you mirror the onscreen images you see on your HDTV or via a compatible projector.

Meanwhile the Android 3.2 operating system is still as good as it ever was, with just a few interface tweaks enacted by Motorola in order to give it a distinct look and feel. However, hopefully there will be an Android 4.0 update at some point this year to extend the life of this tablet. The Motorola Xoom 2 is something of a specialized beast, a bit like a waterproof MP3 player in that it will not necessarily be ideal for everyone but in the right hands it will be a godsend.