Android 3.1 Honeycomb comes to the Motorola Xoom

MOBILE GADGET MAKER Motorola has announced that it has started rolling out Android 3.1 Honeycomb to its Xoom tablets.
It was the pick of the bunch to launch Google's Android 3.X Honeycomb operating system but not the first to get the update to Android 3.1, which is already out for Asus Transformer users. The new version will be available to some Xoom users now via an over the air update.
Yesterday's Facebook post from Motorola said, "The 3.1 update for Motorola XOOM outside the U.S. has started. Owners in Europe can expect updates over the next several weeks until the roll out is complete."
The most notable thing that Android 3.1 brings to users is activation of the SD card slot. This really should have been working from the beginning and it was a sore point when we reviewed the device.
Motorola said, "The 3.1 update for non-U.S. devices, in addition to many other improvements, also includes SD card activation. Release notes will be made available in each region, functionality varies by region."
A couple of things we like are the inclusion of resizable widgets and that the updated apps tool is expandable. More subtle changes include smoother transitions, as well as colour, text and positioning controls and control over touch and hold intervals.
You can attach more USB devices with Android 3.1 such as mice, keyboards, digital cameras and gaming controllers.
The standard apps have also been updated with a browser that has been redesigned to include better controls and thumbnails of open tabs. Other apps that have been upgraded include the gallery, calendar, contacts and email.
WiFi has a lock setting that allows apps to continue to access the internet to update when the screen is off. This means that users can continue to do things like stream music or use voice services.
Whilst the Xoom is getting Android 3.1, rival tablet maker Huawei has recently announced a 7in tablet that will come with Android 3.2, which is also still codenamed Honeycomb.
We've also just noticed that the Acer Iconia Tab A500 will get the update to Android 3.1 from 5 July. Acer announced this on its German Facebook page earlier today.