Motorola Xoom pricing now official - $599 with 2 year contract, $799 without

The wait is over - the pricing for Motorola's new Xoom Android tablet has been announced and it's pretty much as-expected.

Buyers looking to snap up a Xoom have two choices; take out a two-year contract and get the hardware for $599, or bite the bullet and swallow a $799 outlay right off the bat. Whichever way you decide to slice it the new Android tablet-of-choice will be available from Thursday.

The two-year contract will set you back $20 per month which gets you 1GB of mobile data which as AndroidCentral points out, won't last too long once the tablet starts using Verizon's LTE network some time in the second quarter of 2011.

Unfortunately for those not wanting to use their machines outside a WiFi network there are still no details on a WiFi-only model, which is a shame considering that's the entry-level model we'd expect the majority of new Android customers would be shooting for.

Interest in the Xoom is high thanks to it being the first device to market with Google's new Honeycomb version of the Android operating system. The first tablet version of Android, Honeycomb offers a new user interface specifically designed for larger screens. Coupled with a 1GHz dual-core processor, the Xoom is expected to be the tablet to beat in early 2011.

Check out the full press-release from Verizon below.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2011 BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the Feb. 24, 2011 availability of the innovative new Motorola XOOM™ tablet, which won the coveted CNET Best of Show award at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show for being "the most potentially disruptive technology." The first device to run Google's new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, the Motorola XOOM will be available for purchase from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a new two-year customer agreement or $799.99 without a contract. Wireless 3G data service for the Motorola XOOM will begin at $20 monthly access for 1GB. The Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE service at no additional charge in the second quarter of 2011.

A powerhouse in both software and hardware, the Motorola XOOM is built around a 1GHz dual-core processor and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. The sleek, stylish design features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.

The Motorola XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience that improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization, as well as featuring the latest Google™ Mobile services. The Motorola XOOM also features full support for tabbed browsing and support for the Adobe® Flash® Player, available soon as a free download, to enjoy all the video and other rich content available on the Web. For additional information about upgrading their XOOM to 4G LTE, customers can visit www.verizonwireless.com/Xoom4GLTEUpgrade starting Thursday, Feb. 24.