Ina Fried

Recent Posts by Ina Fried

At Long Last, Verizon Says It’s Ready With Xoom 4G Upgrade

When Motorola announced the Xoom tablet — the first device to run the Honeycomb version of Android — the understanding was that it would initially run on 3G, but would quickly be upgradeable to support Verizon’s faster 4G LTE-based network.

The company later clarified that to get the update, consumers would actually have to send in their tablets. Motorola didn’t offer a firm time frame, but said it would happen in the first half of the year. As that deadline approached, Motorola and Verizon said that it would not be out until later this summer.

That deadline passed as well. However, Verizon plans to start the upgrades tomorrow, AllThingsD has learned. Xoom owners should get their devices back in about six business days and don’t need to change their data plan, Verizon said. Owners are encouraged to back up their data.

The months of delays have infuriated early Xoom customers, such as Steve Landsberg of Los Angeles, who bought a unit the day it landed on store shelves in hopes of getting a speedier connection than was available on his 3G-equipped iPad.

Landsberg said that he was told the Xoom would quickly be able to be upgraded, but months came and went with either no word or contradictory statements on when the update would come.

“I’m not an unreasonable person, but this is ridiculous,” Landsberg said earlier this week.

Verizon also plans to start selling a 4G-equipped Xoom in stores starting Oct. 13. It will sell for $499, with a new 2-year contract.

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