It’s no secret that Motorola is already working on their followup to the Motorola XOOM. Some have been referring to it as the XOOM 2, others insist it will be the XOOM 4G, but no matter what you want to call it no one quite knows any solid details on the device that hopes to wash the bad taste of the its forerunner from our mouths. New rumors have surfaced suggesting Moto will ditch the 16:9 aspect ratio found in their debut tablet in favor of a 4:3 display. The move is a departure from the 1280×800 widescreen look found on most 10-inch Honeycomb slates and echos the design of the iPad, which compared to Android 3.0 slates sits a bit shorter and stouter in portrait mode.
Unlike the current generation of iPads, the new screen is rumored to host double the resolution at 2048×1536 and be capable of displaying 1080p video. The trade off means the new XOOM would lose some of its landscape widescreen video viewing appeal, but gain in other areas.
When we might see Motorola’s next tablet is another question entirely. Some have suggested it could launch this summer, while other rumors say the device will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich and be available later in the year. In the meantime we can hope Motorola makes the most desirable change of all: a more competitive introductory price.
