Feb 10, 2011 18:31 GMT  ·  By

Mobile phone maker Motorola announced officially in early January the upcoming availability of a new device that would be powered by Google's Android platform, the Motorola XOOM, the first tablet PC from the company, which is en route to Verizon Wireless in the United States. The Motorola XOOM is expected to arrive on shelves with 3G connectivity options on board, and should receive a software update following the initial release, one that would enable it to connect to Verizon's 4G LTE network.

However, it seems that Motorola is also working on the release of a new flavor of the device, one that would include only support for WiFi connectivity, leaving aside 3G or 4G capabilities. It would be a “wireless tablet with embedded WLAN,” Engadget notes.

Apparently, this device has already received all the necessary FCC approvals, with Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity on board, but no 3G capabilities, and rumor has it that this would indeed be the WiFi-only version of XOOM that Motorola has in store for its users.

Lacking support for mobile networks, the new device would be cheaper than the already announced model.

The 3G-enabled model is expected to sport a price tag of $799 when made available for purchase at Verizon Wireless, a recent leak showed, while the WiFi only model might retail for much less, the same as it happened with other similar devices.

Moreover, rumor has it that those who would like to acquire the Motorola XOOM contract free would still have to pay for one month of service at Verizon.

If true, this would make the WiFi-only flavor of the device even more appealing, as no extra charge would be in place for it.

Nothing was confirmed officially for the time being, and we'll have to wait for a formal announcement to be made to learn whether things are indeed as told or not.

In the meantime, you can have a look at a silver flavor of Motorola XOOM, available in the video embedded below, courtesy of t-break.