Xoom Officially A Flop - 100,000 units sold

[Patranus]

According to an estimate from Deutsche Bank, Motorola has only sold 100,000 Xooms thus far.

For some context, Apple sold 300,000 iPads on the first week weekend it was available.

http://www.businessinsider.com/motorola-xoom-sales-2011-4

Another source
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/apr/06/motorola-xoom-sales-examined

So, which is the next tablet to step up to the plate to challenge the iPad?

 

[SAWYER]

lol, the android tablet fail train will keep on trucking until there are several good and capable choices at or under apple's price

 

[cheezy321]

This is the iPhone launch all over again. Its going to take manufacturers 2 years to actually catch up with Apple.

I hope it comes sooner.

 

[SAWYER]

I love android, but I also like ios as well. I dont care what anyone says, the ipad is damn nice and just works and is extremely polished

 

[Dulanic]

lol, the android tablet fail train will keep on trucking until there are several good and capable choices at or under apple's price

Which quite possibly is rather soon if the Asus tab works out.

 

[Glitchny]

Meh it's a flop in that it didn't beat the iPad, doesn't mean it is a flop for Moto necessarily.

Dissenting Opinion (argument for why the Xoom isn't a flop)

 

[IamDavid]

I love mine. 800 was pricey, still worth it.

 

[zerocool84]

This is the iPhone launch all over again. Its going to take manufacturers 2 years to actually catch up with Apple.

I hope it comes sooner.

Touchpad and Playbook and coming within the next two months and those are pretty big competitors which are actually going to be priced right as are the rest of the competitors. Motorola is dumb to think it's sell a lot at that price. It seems competition is reacting much faster this time but while these competitors look good we still won't know how good they are until they came out. Everyone was saying the Xoom was going to be awesome and yea, we all know how that went.

The only thing though, isn't it a little early to call it a flop? Hasn't it been out for just over a month? I'm not trying to defend the Xoom but it'd be the case with any product. 100,000 units in slightly over a month isn't good nor is it terrible.

 

[ponyo]

That's ugly. Tab and Xoom would've gotten my money had they priced it better. Now I'm skipping Android tablets and staying with Apple. I can wait for iPad3.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I do think the iPad is the best device at the moment, however, it's a very fluid segment, or it's going to be...

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Don't worry. Motorola will finally launch a REAL competitor to the iPad before it gets bailed out from bankruptcy, and the Phandroids will compare it to the iPad 1 launch #s, just like they keep spewing Droid vs iPhone 2G numbers (2009 vs 2007) to claim victory.

 

[Doboji]

I do think the iPad is the best device at the moment, however, it's a very fluid segment, or it's going to be...

At this point it's all about the App support... if Android can get app development really going for Honeycomb then Android tablets will eventually unseat Apple...

Apple has 3 major things in it's favor right now, all (except price weirdly)of which are slowly eroding:

1) Brand recognition. People often buy the apple name without much consideration. They want a smartphone or a tablet, and rather than do research, they trust Apple to give them a great product.

2) App support. You can't do everything on an Android tablet that you can do on an iPad yet.

3) Price. This one boggles my mind... Why would people think they could charge more for an Android tablet? Makes no sense... they should have undercut Apple... no excuse not to.

Apps have a ceiling, sure you can generate a zillion useless fart apps... but at the end of the day there will only ever be a few dozen apps that people are really using. This is the window for Android to catch up...

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

At this point it's all about the App support... if Android can get app development really going for Honeycomb then Android tablets will eventually unseat Apple...

Apple has 3 major things in it's favor right now, all (except price weirdly)of which are slowly eroding:

1) Brand recognition. People often buy the apple name without much consideration. They want a smartphone or a tablet, and rather than do research, they trust Apple to give them a great product.

2) App support. You can't do everything on an Android tablet that you can do on an iPad yet.

3) Price. This one boggles my mind... Why would people think they could charge more for an Android tablet? Makes no sense... they should have undercut Apple... no excuse not to.

Apps have a ceiling, sure you can generate a zillion useless fart apps... but at the end of the day there will only ever be a few dozen apps that people are really using. This is the window for Android to catch up...

People seem to ding Apple for fart apps, but this is a misconception. Sure there may be 5000 of them, but let's look...

In terms of Games, iOS completely dominates. In terms of utilities like unit converters, text apps, IM apps, iOS once again dominates. Android has the edge with tweak utilities like Root Explorer, SetCPU, but honestly do 99% of the userbase even CARE about those apps?

 

[theeedude]

I am not sure about Motorola, they seem to be misjudging their pricing power. But overall I like what I am seeing in upcoming Android tablets. Asus Transformer is the one I got my eyes on.

 

[Bateluer]

Did they make a profit on those 100K units sold?

There's a slew of Android based tablets coming down the pipeline. Remember, guys, this time there's not such an uphill battle for Android. There's not just one manufacturer making an Android tablet, like there was in the early days of Android phones. Nearly everyone is making one, and with the Playbook and Hp Touchpad likely being dead on arrival, competition is going to be very very fierce.

The Galaxy tab WiFi is supposed to launch on the 10th, 350USD. Not a bad price, much closer to where it should have been originally.

 

[Doboji]

People seem to ding Apple for fart apps, but this is a misconception. Sure there may be 5000 of them, but let's look...

In terms of Games, iOS completely dominates. In terms of utilities like unit converters, text apps, IM apps, iOS once again dominates. Android has the edge with tweak utilities like Root Explorer, SetCPU, but honestly do 99% of the userbase even CARE about those apps?

I don't disagree, and Android certainly has it's fair share of fart apps. But if you were to take 100 people and have them list the apps, including games that they actually use... I'd be willing to bet money you'd see the same 20-30 apps listed over and over again. All Android has to do is get to 75% of those apps and hit a lower price point. Not really that difficult. It's exactly what's happened with the smartphone market.

And to that point because of the marketshare Android is getting in the phone market, it's almost inevitable that those 20-30 apps will make it to Android in the near term.

 

[theeedude]

Exactly how many unit converters (something google.com does for free) and IM apps (also) do you need? I certainly care about being able to have a file manager a lot more than having a redundant IM app.

 

[Glitchny]

Don't worry. Motorola will finally launch a REAL competitor to the iPad before it gets bailed out from bankruptcy, and the Phandroids will compare it to the iPad 1 launch #s, just like they keep spewing Droid vs iPhone 2G numbers (2009 vs 2007) to claim victory.

odd never saw the Droid vs iphone 2g argument, either way there is no "victory" they are companies who sell phones, that's it. Also single device vs single device has never been a valid comparison with Android vs iPhone because of the differing business models. However considering how fast Android has grown on smart phones, I think tablets will follow the same trend.

 

[Glitchny]

Exactly how many unit converters (something google.com does for free) and IM apps (also) do you need? I certainly care about being able to have a file manager a lot more than having a redundant IM app.

Yea I agree with you, there are multiple unit converters on Android.. they work fine, but apparently there aren't enough options? I also use the stock IM/MSGing app that comes with Android.. because it works and there is no need for a special one.

 

[ponyo]

Exactly how many unit converters (something google.com does for free) and IM apps (also) do you need? I certainly care about being able to have a file manager a lot more than having a redundant IM app.

Netflix, ABC player, Air Video. AirPlay. Countless games and learning apps.

Flash is the only reason Android even has a chance.

 

[Doboji]

Netflix, ABC player, Air Video. AirPlay. Countless games and learning apps.

Flash is the only reason Android even has a chance.

You don't think Android will have all of these, or their equivalent within the next 3-6 months?

The Android game library is already exploding...

 

[NikolaeVarius]

99.999999999% of all apps are absolutely useless. Numbers are dumb because no one ever uses most of them. You have a set of apps everyone uses and everything else is ignored.

 

[ponyo]

You don't think Android will have all of these, or their equivalent within the next 3-6 months?

The Android game library is already exploding...

maybe, maybe not. We can judge again at that time.

 

[SunnyD]

A flop according to whom? Apple zealots? Okay. What was Motorola's target estimate for sales? For all we know 100,000 units EXCEEDED their expectations.

 

[Glitchny]

Netflix, ABC player, Air Video. AirPlay. Countless games and learning apps.

Flash is the only reason Android even has a chance.

Right... flash is the sole reason why Android is the #1 US smartphone OS and still growing..