Motorola Brings 3G + WiFi XOOM 2, XOOM 2 Media Edition to U.K.

Tablet fans in the U.K. pay attention! Motorola is expanding the XOOM 2 family in the U.K. with the addition of 3G + WiFi variants of the MotorolaXOOM 2 and XOOM 2 Media Edition tablets. 

Common to both the XOOM 2 and XOOM 2 Media Edition is the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1.3 megapixel webcam, five-megapixel main shooter with digital zoom, auto focus, and LED flash, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage (the XOOM 2 has a 32GB variant) and unfortunately Android 3.2 Honeycomb. The XOOM 2 packs a 10.1-inch display and the XOOM 2 Media Edition features an 8.2-inch screen. 

If you feel the need to purchase one, the Motorola XOOM 2 and Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition, in both 3G and WiFi variants, are available Starting today at Carphone Warehouse. 

HTC EVO 4G LTE vs. Nokia Lumia 900 (Video)

We had a few moments to put the recently-announced HTC EVO 4G LTE up against the new Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 900 at the EVO 4G LTE launch event in New York. These phones are very different. The EVO 4G LTE runs with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and utilizes HTC's Sense 4.0 interface, while the Lumia 900 is running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango with a small handful of software additions made by Nokia. 

The Lumia 900 is certainly heavier than the EVO 4G LTE, despite being less tall and wide. The Lumia 900 also has a less precise screen due to its WVGA resolution, but if you like the deep contrast provided by an AMOLED screen, the Lumia 900 will look better to your eyes. And in our unscientific web browsing speed test, the Lumia 900 beat out the EVO 4G LTE, perhaps because of network connectivity issues. 


Another thing to consider is price. The Lumia 900 can be had for $99 or less on contract, while the EVO 4G LTE, when it ships in June, will cost twice as much at $199. That said, if you use a lot of data, you might save money with Sprint's unlimited data plan.

Pantech Vega Racer 2 Announced With LTE, Ceramic Body, HD Screen

Pantech continues to struggle to make a name for itself on the global scene as a smartphone manufacturer, despite releasing several models that, on paper at least, sound like some pretty high-end smartphones. The latest to be revealed is the follow-up to the Vega Racer we first heard about in May of last year, the Snapdragon S4-powered Vega Racer 2. 

Besides a powerhouse of a processor, the Vega Racer 2 will feature a quite large 4.8-inch 720p LCD, andlike the Vega LTE we heard about last fall, the Racer 2 will include an LTE radio. Other modern touches include a ceramic body, providing strength while not interfering with cellular reception; we've been hearing about this tech coming from several manufacturers, but Pantech may be the first to bring it to market. It's not entirely clear from the iffy translation, but Pantech may also be using some sort of Gorilla-Glass-like reinforced display. 

Based on the specs that have been revealed so far, the Racer 2 sounds very much like it could be thePantech IM-A830S we looked into last month. 

Plans are to launch the Vega Racer 2 in Korea, where it could arrive before the end of April. The big question is if this will be one of those Pantech models to largely stay in Asia, or if we'll ever get the chance to see it on a carrier in the West. For now there's been no word of any such plans. 

RIM putting BlackBerry 10 test units in developers' hands in May

It's telling, perhaps, when a VP for your company uses the word "finally" while discussing plans to release test models for your upcoming mobile operating system -- but it's certainly a pretty accurate sentiment when dealing BlackBerry 10. Talking up RIM's plans to release up to 2,000 prototypes running the OS at the BlackBerry Jam conference in May, executive Alec Saunders had this to say: "It's tangible evidence of the company making progress to finally shipping the device." Barring any further setbacks, the operating system formerly known as BBX is set to hit before year's end.

Chrome OS coming to ARM?

Many moons ago, Google made it quite clear we wouldn't  

be seeing its browser-based OS on any tablets or phones, but it never said Chrome OS wouldn't run on devices powered by similar silicon. In fact, the issues tracker at the Chromium OS project shows that work's being done to get Chrome OS compatible with ARM architecture, and in particular a Samsung Exynos 5250 chip. That Sammy silicon appears to be inside a new bit of hardware, codenamed "Daisy," but deeper digging failed to provide further details about the mystery device. While it certainly seems like Google's working on a new ARM-powered gadget, it's important to note that the Chromium project functions largely via user contributions, so the work might not be directed by Mountain View. You don't have to take our word for it, though. Head on down to the source link to see the evidence first hand, and feel free to form your own opinion.