Verizon locking WiFi on Motorola Xoom until you buy one month of data service?

[wicked]

Call us crazy, but we're having a hard time interpreting this line of fine print in any other way:

"To activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of one month data subscription is required."

That's listed under Best Buy's most recent ad highlighting the world's first Android 3.0 tablet, and it most certainly sounds both ominous and ridiculous. Hardcore Verizon followers may remember the days of Big Red crippling Bluetooth radios in phones in order to "coerce" users to purchase ringtones and such from them rather than snagging one on the subway from Tom, Dick and / Jane, so we definitely wouldn't put something like this by the company. It's hard to say how this will be implemented once the $800 Xoom hits retail shelves, but it's certainly hard to believe that this is a Best Buy policy (and not a Verizon mandate). We'll be digging for more details, but we'll be straight with you -- we don't like the potential implications here. At all.

source engadget

[Ads]

[Trav]

Oh I like that there are monthly plans still.

[Quicksilver7714]

This is ridiculous. I have to pay for a month of service to be able to use the wifi featsure of the tab. Not too happy. But I expected to have to pay for one month of service if I get the 3g model.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[freebirdforever]

Still stupid. And the price is just wrong. Soooooo wrong

[JohnDroid]

Yup. Motorola really missed the boat on this unit unless they are planning to lower the price very quickly after release. Highly disappointed.

[Trav]

Hopefully the ad isn't correct.

[wicked]

Hopefully the ad isn't correct.

seconded

[Droid-Xer]

Seems more and more like Motorola and VZW could be putting this info out to gauge reaction, hopefully...cuz this thing is costing us more rather than getting cheaper.