I was recently lucky to test drive the Droid Xyboard 4G LTE 8.2-inch tablet from Verizon Wireless, giving me some new perspective on some of the cool tablets on the market today.
Also, I have recently been able to test out the Samsung Galaxy 10.1” tablet from Verizon as well. While that may be bigger and more powerful, I kind of liked having the more-portable XYBoard just for lounging around the house.
Truth be told, in the two weeks I had the Xyboard, I read more than I had probably in the month before combined. Columns, news bits, Google Books-- everything was in my hands, largely because the 8.2-inch tablet was so handy to just walk around and have on me. I even synced up my Google Bookmarks with the ChromeMarks app I found through the Android Marketplace, so all of those links I tagged throughout my day on Google Reader and Twitter, I could read later on the tablet.
As with all of the new Verizon Wireless-powered tablets, I had no issues using 4G, whether I was at work in newly-4G-capable Valparaiso or back at my house or the gym in Hobart. Videos streamed seamlessly, apps like Tweetdeck or Facebook updated instantaneously, and the app store worked as quickly one place as it would anywhere else. There is literally nothing bad I could say about this tablet.
Even the battery life surpassed my expectations with the Xyboard. At its best, I went almost two days without recharging it, though I do admit I wasn’t on it all of the time. Even with limited use, though, I couldn’t say I would be able to go as long t recharging my phone, a Droid Pro with a much, much smaller screen area.
A couple of other features and things I liked about this tablet:
- Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) Operating System - this operating system is a clear upgrade over my current Droid Pro OS, with some intuitive redesigns and sleeker graphics. Good stuff here.
- HD Front-Facing Camera - this is a cool feature that I wish I had taken more advantage of. Basically, this lets you Skype, Facebook Chat, or do a Google Hangout with whomever you want while you’re able to see them from your tablet anywhere you could get 4G. If I had to describe this feature in one word, it would be “Jetsons”.
The Droid Xyboard from Verizon Wireless gets a “STRONG” recommendation from me, and I suggest it to anyone who is looking for a cool, functional tablet to have around the house..
For more information on the tablet,head to your local Verizon store and speak to one of their experts in mobile technology about the new Droid Xyboard.