Wi-Fi Only Xoom Available March 27 For $599

Motorola Xoom Teardown: Inside The New Android Tablet

The Xoom has been available with Wi-Fi + 3G since Feb. 24 for the full retail price of $799.99, or the subsidized price of $599.99. This version of the Xoom will get a free upgrade to work with Verizon Wireless's Long Term Evolution 4G network later this year. If you're looking to save some cash and avoid any sort of contract, Motorola is offering a new option.

The Xoom will soon be available without a 3G radio and without any sort of contract requirement.

"We are now continuing to expand the choices available to consumers with the Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi to be available soon from numerous leading retailers in the United States," said Dan Papalia, vice president of retail sales for Motorola Mobility, in a statement.

On March 27, it will go on sale at a large number of big box stores and online distribution points, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Staples, and Wal-mart. For enterprise buyers, Motorola will distribute the Xoom via commercial IT channels and regional retailers through a distribution agreement with Synnex Corporation, and regional carriers through Brightpoint, Inc.

The sale price of the Wi-Fi only Xoom will be $599. It includes 32 GB of storage, which puts right in the same ballpark as the iPad 2, which offers a Wi-Fi only variant with 32 GB of storage for the same $599 price.

Unless you're gung-ho about the LTE upgrade coming later this year, I think the Wi-Fi-only Xoom is a good deal. Motorola is putting a $200 price premium on the cellular radio capabilities, while Apple's Wi-Fi + 3G versions add only $130 to the cost of an iPad. Sure, you can buy the 3G version of the Xoom for $599.99, too, but not without signing a two-year contract.

The Xoom may not be perfect, but it still offers a lot and is a solid (and the best, for now) alternative to the Apple iPad.

The Xoom has a 10.1-inch display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, dual-cameras, stereo speakers, HDMI out, and runs a wholly re-sculpted version of Google's Android platform.

Read InformationWeeks's full review of the Xoom here.