Being the first product to run Google‘s tablet-focused Android 3.0 Honeycomb, there was plenty of hype surrounding 2011’s Motorola Xoom tablet. However, the Xoom and its successor, 2012’s Xyboard, performed well under expectations. Plenty has changed in five years, but the now Lenovo-owned Motorola looks to avoid repeating history with the Moto Tab.
On the outside, the Moto Tab features dual front-facing speakers backed by Dolby Atmos, with a fingerprint sensor below the landscape-oriented 10.1-inch Full HD display. The tablet also features front- and rear-mounted cameras, though their resolutions are unknown at the time of this writing.
Under the hood, the Moto Tab sports Qualcomm‘s mid-range Snapdragon 625 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The processor choice might disappoint those who like their 3D gaming, but if the BlackBerry KEYone and 2016’s Moto Z Play are any indication, it should deliver great power efficiency. That should be greatly helped along by the Moto Tab’s sizable 7,000 mAh battery, so I’m excited to see what sort of battery life such a large battery and the Snapdragon 625 can deliver.
What makes the Moto Tab a bit more intriguing is the software and optional accessories. The tablet runs Android 7.1, and some of the changes made on the software front were made to enhance the tablet’s entertainment and productivity capabilities.
For example, folks can swipe left from the home screen or lock screen to get to TV Mode that gets you watching AT&T-owned DirecTV, though you can change which video service the mode defaults to. The Moto Tab also comes with AT&T-branded preinstalled apps. There’s even a Kids Mode so your kids can consume appropriate content.
Enhancing that content is the Home Assistant pack, an optional accessory that offers dual mics and a 3w speaker.
Alternatively, there is a productivity mode that retains the Moto Tab’s software buttons, but shifts them to the left and converts the rest of that bottom area into something akin to what you see on Windows or Chrome OS. This mode is most useful with Lenovo’s Productivity Pack, an optional case folio that includes a keyboard and connects to the tablet through Bluetooth. To add a cherry on top, you will even find an integrated mouse pad below the keyboard, though you might find the whole thing a bit cramped if you have large hands like myself.
If you’re interested in checking out what Motorola has to offer in the tablet space after all these years, you can pick up the Moto Tab through AT&T for $15 a month for 20 months through the carrier’s installment plan. You can also opt to buy the tablet outright for $300, though you will still need an AT&T plan to get LTE up and running. The Moto Tab goes on sale starting this Friday, November 17.