CES: Verizon, Motorola Trot Out iPad Rival

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Far from announcing a much-rumored deal to offer the iPhone, Verizon chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg used his keynote here at the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase the Motorola "Xoom" tablet that aims to one-up Apple's popular iPad.

Motorola Xoom is the first device to use Google's Android 3.0 operating system, code-named Honeycomb, designed for tablets. With a dual-core processor with each core running at 1 GHz and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display, the tablet is targeted to take advantage of Verizon Wireless's recently launched 4G LTE network to let users watch videos, play games and engage in video chats.

"The capability you had in your PC a few short years ago is now available in this tablet," said Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha, who made an appearance to show off the gadget.

Motorola Xoom will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in the first quarter of 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in the second quarter. Starting in Q2, Xoom will be a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi-enabled device. Verizon Wireless also offers Apple's iPad among its device options.

Verizon Wireless also will offer Motorola's Droid Bionic, an Android-based smartphone designed for 4G, in the second quarter

Mike Cleron, principal software engineer for Google, demonstrated the Motorola Xoom. The Android 3.0 OS features a multitasking operating system and 3D interface design, to let users scroll through YouTube videos and books.

In a feature that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd, Cleron used Google Maps to zoom in on the Bellagio hotel-which popped up in 3D relief and let him pan down to street level. The Xoom also features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.

Verizon president and chief operating officer Lowell McAdam, who until recently was CEO of Verizon Wireless, highlighted the company's rollout of 4G. Last month the carrier launched LTE wireless services in 38 markets covering more than 110 million Americans, and will double coverage over the next 18 months. The company says the LTE services offer 5 to 12 Megabits per second downloads and 2 to 5 Mbps uplinks.

In addition, McAdam touted the telco's "big broadband" capability with the FiOS network, which currently reached 15.4 million homes.

"There's really no practical limit to the speeds the fiber network can deliver," McAdam said. "Maybe five years from now Verizon will be selling 100 Gig directly to consumers and we'll have terabytes in the background."

Seidenberg later was joined on stage by Jeff Bewkes, chairman and CEO of Time Warner Inc., who urged programmers and operators to work together to create a uniform approach to TV Everywhere services.

"Let's make it work and make it simple," Bewkes said.

Before the keynote presentation started, an announcer requested that audience members turn of Wi-Fi and other RF devices so they wouldn't interfere with on-stage demos. When Seidenberg took the stage, he quipped: "When Verizon's up here - turn 'em on. Take all you want."

Seidenberg, as previously announced, will retire in 2011. Verizon last fall moved McAdam into the president and CEO position setting him up to take over the top spot.