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Motorola Mobility’s Xoom tablet will finally be able to access Verizon Wireless’ super-fast 4G network in September.
A Verizon representative today confirmed the Xoom will be getting a 4G LTE card after months of delays. The carrier is notifying customers now. Dow Jones Newswires first reported on the upgrade.
One of the primary features touted during the unveiling of the Xoom in January was the option to move to a 4G connection. But the option was delayed as Motorola struggled with the necessary components required to get 4G access. The same problem has caused its 4G Droid Bionic smartphone to suffer delays.
Motorola is one of a wave of companies attempting to unseat the Apple iPad as king of the tablet hill. But, like most of the other companies, it has seen mixed results with the Xoom. Chief Executive Sanjay Jha previously said he plans to expand upon the tablet family with different sizes in the second half.
The company also said it expects to ship between 1.5 million and 2 million tablets this year. It shipped 250,000 in the first quarter.
Motorola reports its second-quarter results on Thursday.
Verizon, meanwhile, has been attempting to push its vendors to supply more 4G products as it catches up to the lineup offered by Sprint Nextel. The Xoom was one of the initial devices the carrier touted as part of its first wave of 4G products. Incoming Verizon Communications Chief Executive Lowell McAdam talked up the 4G lineup for the fourth quarter, calling it the carrier’s best product lineup he’s ever seen.
Separately, Samsung Electronics said it would begin selling a 4G version of its 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab on Thursday.
