Here’s a quick quiz for tablet fans…here in the UK I have access to three tablets: a Motorola Xoom, a Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition (Xyboard 8.2 in the US) and an HP Touchpad. Which one of these is running the Ice Cream Sandwich variant of Android?
Did you chose one of the Motorola devices? Sorry, you’re wrong. The only tablet running ICS in my house is the HP Touchpad, courtesy of the CyanogenMod team. How embarrassing is that, Motorola? Here’s all the talk about preventing Android fragmantation and a Google subsidiary can’t even get Ice Cream Sandwich onto its own tablets in a timely fashion. It’s been over six months since ICS was released.
ICS has been available on the Xoom in the USA since January but as yet it’s not made it to the UK. ICS should have been released in Q2 of 2012 according to Motorola’s own documentation but a week into July and still no sign. And before anyone starts apologising that it’s to do with the carriers, these are all pure wifi devices. Does it really take six months for language customisation?
As for the Xoom 2 (aka Xyboard), it’s frankly an embarrassment that the current product doesn’t have ICS running on it now, although it’s promised for Q3 in both US and UK. I’m delighted to hear that Google Motorola is going to deliver Jelly Bean for the Xoom in July, but why not for the newer devices? Flagship software on flagship device would seem to be the way to go.
Google Android fragmentation needs to be addressed and minimised. Latest Android versions need to be showcased. Motorola’s tablets are popular. Motorola Mobility is a Google subsidiary. Do I have to join the dots?
If that was all Motorola were guilty of.. I bought the Xoom with hopes of a working USB (ALL USB devices connectable) and memory expansion possibilities..
6 months before the first update made the unit A) work for more than an hour without crashing or freezing
B) allow ANYTHING to connect to the USB
C) memory expansion
What other device advertises so many features that are not available out of the box?
UK consumer protection should hold their heads in shame, the device should have been kicked into touch right OUT OF THE box..
If I bought a car that was advertised as self park and it sat waiting on an update for 6 months before it wouls attempt it, it would go back.
That said my Xoom works, it still cant reliably connect to loads of bluetooth devices, it still has terrible issues with MOST USB devices, but it plays movies and I can now thanks to an add on browser be used on the web to view most content.
But that took nearly 7 months to get and a net loss of £200 as by the time it came out Xoom was allready discounted due to poor sales..
Motorola, I wouldnt buy a device from you if it came with a money back promise.. (thats because you cant be trusted) and you comunicate worse than my dog.. 2 quarter my ass
Alan