Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition review

Apple still dominates the tablet market with the iPad 2, which uses a 9.7in display, and the vast majority of premium Android tablets have followed suit, with most devices having screen sizes around 10in.

Smaller tablets, except for bargain basement models, have been thin on the ground since Google launched its tablet-specific Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system – which is soon to be replaced by the phone-and-tablet unifying Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This scarcity meant we were keen to get our hands on this more compact 8.2in Media Edition of the Motorola Xoom 2.

Motorola’s design suggests that the Media Edition will be mainly used in portrait mode

Now 8.2in may not sound like a lot less than the 10.1 display on the standard Xoom 2, but diagonal screen measurements aren’t terribly useful when it comes to direct comparisons. The useful tool at http://www.silisoftware.com/tools/screen.php tells us that the screen is only 66% of the size of its larger sibling, or other similarly specified tablet. Despite being smaller, it certainly equals the Xoom 2 in image quality, with a bright and colourful IPS panel that will bring you only joy. It even has the same 1,280×800 resolution packed into the display.

Obviously the smaller size screen means smaller dimensions overall, after all the point of such a tablet is that it’s easy to tout about. At just below 9mm in depth it’s practically-speaking as thin as larger rivals and with a fairly slender bezel its dimensions of 140x216mm mean you can slip it into a big coat pocket – which it won’t weigh down thanks to its 388g weight – or most handbags.

We like its sturdy feel and slightly techy appearance

Not that it appears designed for the fairer sex, with its distinctively macho styling echoing the Motorola RAZR, which comes to a head in the exposed bolts on the rear panel. It feels as tough as it looks, and with Motorola’s clever Splash-Guard technology and an edgeless Gorilla Glass front panel, it should survive a few mishaps.

Based on the placement of the camera, manufacturer’s logo and buttons, Motorola must feel that its smaller tablet is more likely to be used in portrait; compared to the landscape design of the larger Xoom 2 and other 10in Android tablet designs. We’re not sure about the logic of that, as to view webpages we used the Media Edition in landscape, to make them readable without having to rescale the text and mess with the layout. The camera is identical to that on the Xoom 2 and so is as disappointing as most tablet efforts, bar that of the Asus Transformer Prime.

Its 1.2GHz dual-core chipset is perfectly capable, but now looks a little dated compared to the quad-core Transformer Prime. That tablet also has a fifth low-power core to maximise battery life (lasting for over ten hours), and such technology is sorely missed here with a slightly disappointing time of five hours and 25 minutes in our video playback test. With only a 3,900mAh battery inside, compared to 7,000mAh in the larger Xoom 2, it was bound to struggle despite its screen’s lower power drain. A smaller battery is unfortunately unavoidable in a smaller-screened tablet if you want it equally slim and retain all the other features of larger models.

Speaking of features, the Media Edition sensibly retains the IR emitter of the Xoom 2, so you can control your home theatre kit via the Dijit app. There’s a Micro HDMI output and it uses a Micro USB for both data transfer and charging purposes. As with the Xoom 2, a flap reveals what could be Micro SDHC and SIM card slots, but both are blanked off. The lack of storage expansion, beyond the internal 16GB is annoying here as before; but the lack of 3G (or any 3G-capable model at present) is baffling given the portability of this device. With basic data-only contracts now as low as £5, being able to browse the web and pick up email on the go is no longer the preserve of the rich. If you’re looking for 3G on a smaller tablet then consider the Sony Tablet P instead.

The Xoom 2 Media Edition is essentially a smaller version of the rather good Xoom 2. However, between the two launches, the Asus Transformer Prime came along and showed us the next step for tablet hardware. At £330 the Media Edition is far cheaper than that device – as the Prime only comes bundled with its keyboard dock presently for £500 – and £50 less than the regular Motorola Xoom 2. Even at this quite competitive price we can’t help but feel that its relatively poor battery life and lack of 3G make it a somewhat compromised device. Also as smartphone screens get larger, many may feel an 8.2in tablet is an unnecessary halfway house between their pocket-friendly handset and a full-sized tablet.

Except for a few minor details, its looks practically identical to its larger sibling

With the big trade shows coming up, such as CES next week and Mobile World Congress in February, we’re bound to be showered with shiny new tablet options very soon. The Xoom 2 Media Edition is the best conventional small Android tablet to buy today, but that’s not enough for us to give it full marks.