Dell Venue Pro: Lightning Strikes
by Vivek Gowri on March 14, 2011 3:01 PM EST- Posted in
- Dell
- Windows Phone 7
- Smartphones
- Venue Pro
- Mobile
Dell Venue Pro - Software
For more details on Windows Phone 7, read Anand and Brian’s epic 32-page review. I wasn’t part of that review, but my thoughts mirror theirs. Windows Phone 7 is probably the most beautiful mobile OS on the market currently. Microsoft has very carefully crafted the UX for WP7, and the work they’ve done is evident in every UI action and animation. It’s a really impressive first effort, and a strong base for the platform to build on.
There were a few pretty big questions facing the platform when we last touched on it in a review, such as slow app loading, poor browsing performance from IE8, copy/paste, and multitasking. Copy/paste has been demoed in various stages even prior to WP7’s retail launch, while the loading time issue is being fixed by streamlining the memory management and changing how applications are loaded into memory. These fixes, along with CDMA support, will be included in an update slated to release in the coming weeks.
At Mobile World Congress last month, Microsoft announced a few more updates. IE8 Mobile and its notoriously slow JavaScript performance (not to mention the utter lack of HTML5 support) are being dumped for a mobile version of IE9, which is based around the same rendering engine as the PC version of IE9. It will have GPU hardware acceleration as well as HTML5 support, which extends to the video tag, using the same H.264 codec as the desktop IE9. Plans for 3rd party multitasking support have also finally been detailed, with a fast-app switching scheme similar to the iOS implementation. The app-switching interface looks suspiciously like the card system in webOS, but that’s not such a bad thing considering that webOS has the best multitasking interface in the smartphone world at present. In addition to that, twitter support is added (finally) as well as better cloud synchronization. There wasn’t really a timeframe attached to these updates, but when released, they’ll go a long way towards making WP7 truly feature competitive with iOS and Android.
The only other real issue with the platform at current is the app catalogue in Windows Phone Marketplace - for a 4-month old platform, it’s downright impressive, but there’s still a lot of important apps missing. IM clients, for one, are still pretty sparse, as well as banking apps and other utilities. We’ve seen some pretty impressive applications released on Marketplace, especially Facebook and Netflix, as well as the Xbox Live implementation. As mobile gaming is beginning to play a more important role in the smartphone world, Xbox integration will be an integral part of WP7’s future. Microsoft has the money and developers to make Marketplace competitive with the iOS App Store and Android Market, especially now that Nokia is on board with the platform as both a hardware and software partner, but it’ll take some time.
The Venue Pro comes with T-Mobile’s standard software package, with T-Mobile Family Room, T-Mobile TV, TeleNav GPS, Newsroom, and Personal Finance. I didn’t end up using any of them much, but they’re pretty easy to uninstall. That’s one of the great things about WP7, there’s only so much a carrier can do to bloat the phone’s OS install. Beyond those few apps, it’s a pretty standard implementation of Windows Phone 7. Dell’s choice to go with portrait QWERTY makes sense, since Windows Phone 7 doesn’t have a whole lot of landscape support in the OS, other than the browser and text messaging apps. I don’t think I used landscape mode on the Venue Pro more than once during the month I had it.
One minor annoyance, though, is that you can’t slide the phone open to answer an incoming call. After getting used to that as the default behavior on any portrait sliding phone (dumbphone or otherwise), it takes a bit to get used to sliding the screen up and realizing that you haven’t answered the call yet. Same goes for closing the phone and hanging up. Whether this is because the feature isn’t in the Windows Phone API or because Dell just didn’t want to code it is an open question, but it’s a scenario unique to this one device, so I wouldn’t be surprised if WP7 didn’t support it.
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eddman - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
Then you might be interested in Venue, if you don't want the keyboard.http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=3281...
eddman - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
EDIT: "if the lack of keyboard isn't a problem for you."takumsawsherman - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
More importantly, there seems to be no point in buying this phone. What would make it compelling? WP7? Big and bulky? Poor battery life? Camera that sucks? Few apps? No successful history? Made by a company that specializes in making poor quality computers that are a sad attempt at "Me, too"? Why don't you just buy a Dell Adamo while you're at it.Give me a good Android or iPhone, and I will be fine. I don't think someone can survive on a "Venue Pro". What exactly is a "Venue Pro", anyway? Even the name sucks.
VivekGowri - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
Hmm, I actually have an Adamo...This might explain a lot. What I will say is that Dell can turn out some really well designed, high quality devices when they try. Unfortunately, only about one in ten Dell products are actually designed at that level, but the ones that are generally are quite nice. The Venue/Venue Pro is one of them.The camera isn't any better or worse than the other WP7 devices, most smartphones are pretty close these days as far as camera quality goes. Good pictures in well lit settings, terrible low light pictures, passable video camera. Other than the stuff about the camera button, I could have basically copied/pasted that section right out of my last smartphone review.
If you're looking for a WP7 device, this has some compelling features, namely the keyboard and design/build. Most of the WP7-related issues will go away over time (look how far Android has come in the last 18 months - Microsoft has the money and developers to do something similar).
neogodless - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
I've had the phone a week. I love the screen. I do agree it's a tad too dim for some outdoor activities, although, that's usually only a problem if I'm trying to walk while using it. The screen is also a huge magnet for smudges. I'm considering trying out a protector.My 8GB unit has been very stable. The camera is very tricky to use - I'd love to see a software shutter release in the future. The power button is a little hard to get to, but a quick quarter slide open/close is kind of nice for seeing if there's anything new. And seeing updates fed to the lock screen means you don't have to go any further (unless you want to check out live tiles.) The apps I've used generally load pretty fast. Facebook app is unimpressive but workable. Kindle is awesome. Haven't tested Netflix yet. I like the games (Bubble Birds and Ice Balls are neat to play with.)
Really love the Gmail and Outlook email interfaces. And also love Office. Mostly just use OneNote for jotting things down.
The browser seems just great for anything I've used it for, which I guess hasn't been anything too fancy.
Love all the Zune stuff. Never had a Zune... really love the music player, the marketplace integration, and I like how you can use it as an MP3 player, tap a volume button and then pause or skip tracks. And the top audio jack is nice for sitting the phone in the car (though if I have to plug in a USB cord for longer trips on the bottom, that will be much less ideal!)
Here's a list I made for a friend that asked about it (this was after 2 days use.)
Minor annoyances
• No way to sync Facebook calendar/events with main calendar as of yet (can view them from Facebook App though)
• Copy/paste not supported… supposed to be here THIS WEEK though
o (also can’t forward OneNote files or share them in any way, so lack of Copy/Paste a bummer for that purpose…)
• Doesn’t charge very well from computer/USB – if battery is critically low, doesn’t charge at all. Does charge fine from wall charger
o Battery life is pretty bad so far, though I’ve been using the phone a lot…
• Physical keyboard… is kind of a waste of space for me, touch screen keyboard is actually great, and my fingers are HUGE
• Poor t-mobile signal at my house, and unlike blackberry and some newer Androids, doesn’t support UMA or WiFi calling (does support WiFi for all data services though)
• Have to slide open a bit or hit power button to light up screen, no notification LEDs, so have to do this to check for updates
• Facebook Messages aren’t integrated, have to open Facebook App
• Camera pretty bad in less than ideal lighting, button a little hard to press, too.
Things I like or love
• Everything is so smooth
• Tons of high quality free apps and games
• Tons of ways to access free music / streaming radios (even an FM radio built in, though you need headphones, but then, duh)
• Love the Email and Texting interfaces
• Actually like having work email and calendar on here, it’s unobtrusive and helps me get to my meetings on time
neogodless - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
Corrections:You can email OneNote files. You may have to exit completely, then re-open so you are only in "View" mode, not "Edit' mode - you'll have Pin and Email icons.
Battery Life has been pretty good now that I don't play with the phone every waking moment.
It does charge OK though slowly from a USB port, but you can't let the battery get to "critically low" or you'll need the wall charger.
Wait, when is Copy/Paste getting here?
A little nuisance I found today was that I have some friends with multiple phone numbers... there was no way to see which one they used to text me, so I had to play around a little to figure out which one they use for that. Can't say that's a typical use case, though.
And it would be nice to start seeing more apps released by companies... banks, fuelly.com, etc... hopefully it will come with popularity. I'm hoping to learn how to write my own in the meantime... especially if they provide open APIs :)
VivekGowri - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
That update was supposed to be there at the end of Jan, middle of Feb, beginning of March. I'll believe it when I see it.mados123 - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
Now if they could just have the DELL logo less obvious - maybe just remove the outer circle.BaronMatrix - Monday, March 14, 2011 - link
and it's better than EVERY one of my friends' phone (Android or IPhone). The Keyboard is so smooth I can type FAST. I DO hate that it doesn't allow you to go back without deleting text, but you can use the suggestions.The MP3 player is great - not as good as a dedicated one but MP3 players won't let you track yourself on a map.
Texting is a JOY. It's SUPER-EASY to get to any apps. The People Hub pays for the whole phone. It allows you to add all of your contacts from Facebook, Live, Yahoo in one place. Selecting emails and phone numbers is so easy you don't need Copy and Paste.
The Phone is VERY FAST opening the apps I use - haven't gotten any new ones. The animations are super smooth.
Silverlight is the best platform for visual computing as it's easy to program and does everything that Flash AND JavaScript do using a high level language.
MS doesn't always do it right but they did this time.
Anyone looking for a first phone - GET THIS. Anyone unhappy or even happy with their existing phone - GET THIS. if they really improve the speed, it will dust off Android and iOS.
IOW - GET THIS PHONE. You'll thank yourself.
halcyon - Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - link
1. Last year's CPU and really tired GPU2. Performance that is sub-par against the best of breed - from last year
3. Battery life that is not up there for a hard core use business phone
4. Windows Phone 7, which is still so behind and needs the Mango update to start to shine
Pass. Thanks for the right form factor Dell, pity about the wrong selection of innards (hw) and the OS (WP7).
Maybe the next iteration, with Android, please.