Dismal third-quarter sales of the Motorola Xoom tablet have dragged down the financial results of Motorola Mobility, the company due to be acquired by Google for US$12.5 billion by the end of the year.

Just 100,000 Xoom tablets were sold worldwide in the three months to September 2010. The result follows sales of 400,000 in the second quarter and 250,000 in the first.

In contrast, in the same three months Apple sold a massive 11.12 million iPads.

Motorola Mobility still managed net revenues of US$3.3 billion, up 11% from the same period in 2010, on the back of 4.8 million smartphone shipments.

However, it suffered an operating loss of US$32 million.

The company notes that this figure includes around US$18 million in expenses attributable to the planned Google merger.

A special meeting of Motorola Mobility stockholders to approve the merger will take place on November 17. If approval is granted and regulatory authorities give the thumbs up the deal will go ahead in the next few months.