Motorola’s Xoom Android Tablet Will Not Zoom on Verizon 4G LTE

After a recent trademark filing for the Xoom name was discovered, sources told Droid-Life that Xoom will indeed be the name of Verizon Wireless’s upcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet made by Motorola. Though the pair have been relatively coy to not release information about its upcoming tablet product, the Motorola tablet, previously codenamed Stingray and Everest, was seen in a number of videos and images.

According to those same sources, it appears that despite the Xoom name, Xoom will not be zooming along on Verizon Wireless’s 4G information super LTE highway. Android and Me is reporting that 4G LTE may be available as an option via an expansion. Verizon Wireless may be selling a PCI Express LTE modem that plugs into the Motorola Xoom tablet to give the Android Honeycomb device 4G for those users who want 4G, or for those who work, live in, or frequent an area with 4G coverage. As 4G coverage is still limited right now, this move may help keep costs low to increase adoption of the tablet.

With 4G being purposefully omitted and only available as an option, Verizon’s 4G plans may be called into question. The carrier had hinted that it may end unlimited plans in favor of some sort of tiered pricing, like rival AT&T’s tiered data plans. With the omission of 4G, perhaps Verizon is looking at increasing pricing plan options for 4G, and if users agree to the new pricing, then perhaps they can get the optional modem. As the carrier transitions to new data pricing plans, the optional 4G component may help to sooth any anxieties that consumers may face at higher data charges, though this is purely conjecture at this point.

The carrier is anticipated to announce a number of 4G smartphones to debut on its 4G LTE network at CES in January.