No, unfortunately you cannot charge the XOOM with a USB cable.
Just about every device with a microUSB connection uses the port for syncing data and charging the device’s internal battery. But the Motorola XOOM is different.
To charge the XOOM, you’ll need either a XOOM-specific wall or car charger that uses the tablet’s small, round charging port, or a dock that can charge the tablet using the two gold-colored contacts on the bottom edge of the XOOM.
BYA: You ask, we answer.
Hot on the heels of Sprint’s announcement of the HTC Arrive comes word that Verizon Wireless is about to unveil its first Windows Phone 7 device, the HTC 7 Trophy. WinRumors is reporting that its sources say Verizon could announce the phone as early as next week with a release sometime around March 20.
We’ve long known Verizon Wireless would launch a Windows Phone 7 device early this year, so this rumor way well be true. And it makes sense for Verizon to launch its first phone powered by Microsoft’s new mobile OS at roughly the same time as Sprint. A recent update to Windows Phone 7 makes it compatible with CDMA networks.
WinRumors says the HTC 7 Trophy will cost $200.
There’s still no official Dropbox app for Windows Phone 7, but if you’re a Dropbox user desperately looking for a way to access files from your phone, there is a new, third-party solution: Kickbox.
Built using Dropbox’s own API, Kickbox allows you to access files stored in your Dropbox right from a Windows Phone with a UI that’s sleek and attractive. Features include Office document viewing, tap-and-hold rename, copy and delete, and photo uploading.
There are still a lot of features we’re looking forward to seeing in future versions of Kickbox, but it’ll do in the current pinch.
Kickbox is currently $3.99.
The Pocket PC Central Motorola XOOM Accessories Center has been updated. Accessories were added to the following product pages:
In addition, the following sections have been added to the XOOM Accessories Center:
As you probably know, the Motorola XOOM Android 3.0 tablet is shipping without LTE support, but this is coming in about three months by way of a free hardware upgrade.
And to get it, you’ll have to ship your XOOM to Motorola.
Here’s how it’ll work:
Once the LTE upgrade is available, you will request the upgrade and receive a box with which to ship the XOOM to Motorola. Techs on the receiving end will then perform a hardware upgrade, removing a placeholder mini-PCI card inside the XOOM and replacing it with an LTE-compatible wireless modem. The XOOM will then be shipped back to you. The whole process is supposed to take 6 business days.
iFixIt.com has an article on the XOOM’s innards which sheds some light on the upgrade process, and Verizon has a page detailing what you should do to get ready for the upgrade before you ship the XOOM off – but you have plenty of time to prepare as the upgrade is not expected to be available until May.
We have some Android 2.2 update news for you.
First, the HTC Aria, AT&T’s smallest Android phone, will be receiving an update to Android 2.2 “Froyo” tomorrow. AT&T posted this news earlier today.
Alright HTC Aria lovers, we said the Android 2.2 update was coming soon–and we meant it! Check back on the page TOMORROW for a link to learn how to download the update. Dante Martin, our Android Senior Project Manager, is back in the video below with more details on what 2.2 entails and what’s coming for Androids on AT&T.
Second, a Froyo update is now available for users of the Samsung Captivate, also on AT&T. The Captivate’s update brings USB tethering, OS-level mobile hotspot, Flash 10.1, and other improvements and tweaks. This update comes via a Windows utility. Find out more here.
Finally, just two days after its release, an Android 2.2 update for the Samsung Epic 4G has been pulled. Apparently there are some issues with SD cards in the update, which created problems for many users. No word yet on when the update might go live again.
We’ve known for some time that Windows Phone devices would hit the U.S. CDMA carriers – Sprint, Verizon Wireless – in early 2011. Verizon Wireless remains tight-lipped about their debut Windows Phone (or phones), but this morning Sprint announced theirs: the HTC Arrive.
The Arrive (aka HTC 7 Pro) is a tilting QWERTY slider with a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 WVGA multi-touch display. Other features include a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 16GB of onboard flash storage, 512MB of RAM, a 5MP camera, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, and a 1500mAh Li-Ion battery for up to 6 hours of talk time. Like many other Windows Phones, it appears the HTC Arrive does not have a memory card slot for additional storage.
The HTC Arrive will be available for purchase from Sprint on March 20th for $199 with a two-year contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate).
Check out the full press release below.
First Windows Phone 7 Device for Sprint, HTC Arrive, Available Beginning March 20 for $199.99
Available from Sprint on March 20, the HTC Arrive™ smartphone (announced by HTC globally as HTC 7 Pro) offers the Windows Phone 7, glance-and-go experience combined with an innovative design that features a sliding full QWERTY keyboard and tilt-up display. Its unique Start screen with Hubs gives easy access to the user’s most valuable content and customizable Live Tiles come to life with real-time updates from the Web.
Depending on the app, the Live Tiles might show pending messages and appointments, news and weather, or game notifications and friend status – all continuously refreshed. It also lets the user customize people, apps, playlists, pictures, and other favorites to the Start screen, so they’re available at a single touch.
Windows Phone 7 Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view and offers quick and easy access to the users’ most valuable content. The six Hubs are built on specific themes, including:
HTC Arrive key features include:
Windows Phone Marketplace offers a single view to showcase apps, games, music and premium Xbox LIVE games
HTC Arrive will be available beginning March 20, for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade and after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes not included) in all Sprint retail channels, including the Web (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1).
Beginning today, customers can pre-order HTC Arrive at any participating Sprint Store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card. Customers who pre-order HTC Arrive will have their name added to the Device Wait List and be contacted to set up an appointment to complete their purchase beginning on Sunday, March 20. Through the pre-order process, customers will have peace of mind knowing they are able to get the device they want and receive the full retail experience, including Sprint’s Ready Now customer service experience.
Sprint customers get more with unlimited data plans on the Sprint Network. Sprint offers real simplicity, value and savings versus competitors, making it easy for customers to get the most out of their phones without using a calculator to tally up costs or worrying about how much data they’ve used.
HTC Arrive requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans, plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and Web (excluding Verizon’s Southern California plan; pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).
Sprint Everything Data plans qualify for automatic enrollment in the Sprint PremierSM loyalty program1. Existing Sprint customers can switch to an Everything Data plan without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.
The wait for the Motorola XOOM is nearly over.
Verizon Wireless will begin selling the Android 3.0 tablet on February 24th for $599 with a two-year contract, $799 without contract. The carrier will be also be offering special 3G data rates for the tablet (as it does with the iPad) starting at $20/month for 1GB.
The XOOM will ship without support for Adobe Flash or LTE. Verizon is still mum about the exact details of the LTE upgrade, which will be available in Q2 2011, but we should know more on Thursday.
A free software update including Flash will also be made available in the next few weeks.
Check out the press announcement below.
MOTOROLA XOOM TABLET TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK ON FEB. 24
“Best of Show” Winner at 2011 Consumer Electronics Show Delivers the World’s First True Tablet Experience, With Upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the Feb. 24, 2011 availability of the innovative new Motorola XOOM tablet, which won the coveted CNET Best of Show award at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show for being “the most potentially disruptive technology.”
The first device to run Google’s new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, the Motorola XOOM will be available for purchase from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a new two-year customer agreement or $799.99 without a contract. Wireless 3G data service for the Motorola XOOM will begin at $20 monthly access for 1GB. The Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE service at no additional charge in the second quarter of 2011.
A powerhouse in both software and hardware, the Motorola XOOM is built around a 1GHz dual-core processor and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. The sleek, stylish design features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.
The Motorola XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience that improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization, as well as featuring the latest Google™ Mobile services. The Motorola XOOM also features full support for tabbed browsing and support for the Adobe® Flash® Player, available soon as a free download, to enjoy all the video and other rich content available on the Web. For additional information about upgrading their XOOM to 4G LTE, customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEUpgrade starting Thursday, Feb. 24.
Hurry, before this offer expires!
Amazon’s Appstore for Android is just around the corner, and according to newly released details about the service, it’s shaping up to be an impressive alternative to Google’s own Android Market.
According to posts at Amazon’s Appstore Developer Blog, Android apps in the Appstore for Android will be easily reachable across Amazon.com, with appropriate titles included in general searches. There will also be a page of Android app bestsellers. Much the same way Kindle eBook bestsellers are shown, users will see two lists: one for the Top 100 Paid apps, another for the Top 100 Free titles.
App purchases/downloads will also appear alongside Android hardware. For example, if users tend to purchase particular apps along with a specific tablet from Amazon, these apps could populate the Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought section of the tablet’s Amazon product page.
One of the most interesting aspects of Amazon’s entrance into the Android app business is the ability to pre-order apps for tablets and smartphones purchased from the retailer. If a customer buys an Android tablet on Amazon, for instance, they can also purchase (or select free) apps they wish to install and use before the tablet arrives; when powered on and associated with the user’s Amazon account, the pre-selected apps will be downloaded and installed.
The exact mechanism for this hasn’t yet been disclosed as far as we can tell, however it will almost certainly involve an Amazon Appstore for Android application that will either be preloaded or obtainable through instructions included in the shipping container. Presumably, tablets purchased from other retailers will also be able to use the service with a manual installation of Amazon’s Appstore application loader.
The opportunity to browse, compare and easily purchase Android apps on Amazon’s web site using a user’s existing account will likely be a valuable tool for many, as deciding between applications (particularly higher-priced, paid titles) on a small screen can be frustrating and time consuming. It should also make reading user reviews more valuable as Amazon makes it easy to search, refine and rate reviews from other users.
Amazon has not yet announced when their Appstore for Android will go live.