Motorola (News - Alert) released its next-generation Droid XYBOARD 10.1 with Wi-Fi today. The new tablet is a member of the family that includes the Droid XYBOARD 8.2, which was released last December in time for the holidays.

The new Android (News - Alert) tablet runs on Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) and is upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It boasts a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 HD display that is IPS-enhanced. The unit comes equipped with many Google (News - Alert) services, including Google Music Player, Gmail, Google Latitude, and Google Plus. Users can choose 16 or 32 GB of storage, and the processor is dual core 1.2 GHz.

The battery can handle 10 hours of both Wi-Fi browsing and movie viewing. On standby, the lithium ion battery can last up to 48 days on 3G and 33 days on 4G. The 10.1 comes equipped with a camera and a HD front webcam for HD video capture, and the device is LTE (News - Alert)-compatible. Best of all, like the 8.2, it requires no data plan.

The new tablet, like the 8.2, is equipped with MotoCast, which allows users to stream all kinds of files, including photos, videos, music and documents over a Wi-Fi connection between their PC and their tablet. The tablet also comes preloaded with VCast and Adobe Flash Player. Of course, the device can access the Android Market for limitless customization possibilities.

Motorola has designed the 10.1 to alternate easily between business and pleasure. It features government-level encryption to keep proprietary documents and other materials safe and secure. Also, the tablet features virtual surround sound technology that switches speakers according to the angle at which you hold the tablet.

Motorola has addressed most of the concerns over its XOOM tablet, including battery life and weight, by releasing the XYBOARD 8.2 and 10.1. However, the devices don’t feature quad-core processors, like the ASUS Eee Transformer Prime tablet. Critics have also complained about the price of the XYBOARD tablets, although both retail for less than the 16GB iPad 2; Motorola did slightly drop the price of the 8.2 upon release of the 10.1.

Motorola also features upgradeable SD cards to expand memory, a feature that the iPad 2 does not have. However, although the 10.1 has lightened compared to XOOM, it still is not as light as the Samsung Galaxy tab. Also, the Galaxy Tab has slightly longer battery life, coming in at 13 hours instead of Droid’s 10.

Motorola is currently retailing the 16 GB Droid XYBOARD 10.1 at $499.99. The 32 GB version adds an additional $100 to the price.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration, click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter