Dell Unveils Venue Smartphone At CES
The Android version follows Dell's Windows 7 Venue Pro device, which launched in October. It features Dell's Stage user interface, a 4.1-inch AMOLED display with a curved Gorilla Glass protective covering, a Swype keyboard, and an 8-megapixel camera facing the back of the phone.
As with the Dell Streak 7, which also launched on Thursday, the Venue comes with access to Android's applications and widgets from the Android Market online, which the Stage interface makes relatively easy to navigate.
The Venue supports enterprise applications such as ActiveSync and QuickOffice, in addition to a number of entertainment features. The device emphasizes Web-browsing as well as mobile productivity in order to broaden its appeal.
Dell says the Venue phone is powered by a 1-GHz processor, although it has not offered the model name. Nor has the company offered pricing and availability for the device.
The launch of the Dell Venue was pushed back to January 6, the day it was introduced at CES, while customers who pre-ordered their phone were informed -- belatedly -- that shipments of their units had been delayed as well. The company cited the need to fix unforeseen technical problems with the Venue's hardware.
Nevertheless, upset customers took to online forums to offer negative feedback regarding Dell's customer service and communication, capping an eventful year for Dell , the world's third largest PC maker, which included five acquisitions and a $100 million fine from the SEC.
Dell has been active on the mobile front, offering a number of mobile embedded devices on both the Froyo platform from Google Android, as well as Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 devices. The Streak 7 and the Venue smartphone join the Streak 5 tablet, the Inspiron duo convertible tablet launched in November, and the Windows Phone 7 Venue Pro smartphone.
Despite the company's apparent emphasis on small form factor embedded devices, Dell's mobile operations unit was discontinued in December, and its chief executive is leaving at the end of the month.
While pricing and availability for the Dell Venue remain a mystery, customers awaiting their pre-ordered units can rest assured that the device is functional and ready for usage -- at least as a display prototype.