Motorola to launch its first tablet in S. Korea

Motorola Mobility Inc. said Tuesday that the company will roll out its first tablet computer in South Korea in April, heralding stiffer competition among tablet makers.

   The Xoom tablet computer, built on the latest version of Google Inc.'s Android platform called Honeycomb, will be launched through SK Telecom Co., the country's top mobile operator, the company's Korea unit president said in a press conference.

   Pricing details have yet to be determined as it is in talks with the mobile carrier, Jung Chul-jong, president of Motorola Korea, told reporters.

   The Xoom will be the first tablet to arrive in the South Korean market that runs on Google's software designed for large-screen mobile devices.

   With the 10.1-inch display that measures similar with Apple Inc.'s iPad, the Xoom is equipped with a 1-gigahertz dual core processor and two cameras in the rear and the front.

   South Korea is poised to see a new round of battle among tablet computers to be released in the next couple of months, as mobile manufacturers race to catch up to the iPad, the segment leader.

   Apple said it will start shipping the latest generation of its iPad tablet computer next month in South Korea. LG Electronics Inc.'s first tablet computer, which also runs on Google's Honeycomb platform, will be released in South Korea sometime during May, its spokeswoman said. Samsung Electronics Co. is scheduled to release its latest version of the Galaxy Tab in June globally. (Yonhap News)