Yesterday we briefly saw the Venue Pro appear on Dell's site with a December 14th launch date and $149.99 price tag before it was unceremoniously yanked. Today the Venue Pro has reappeared on the site, although this time in a much more official fashion and available right now with a new ship date of December 9th. Pricing for new T-Mobile customers buying a Venue Pro is set at just $99.99 with a two-year contract for the 8GB, while the 16GB model costs $149.99. Upgrading customers will pay a little more, $199.99 for the 8GB and $249.99 for the 16GB, while the off-contract pricing is set at $449.99 and $499.99, respectively. You can peruse the entire press release down below.
The Venue Pro's pricing is pretty nice, although I think that the cost for upgrading customers could stand to be around $50 less. Still, with its 4.1-inch Super AMOLED Gorilla Glass display, 1GHz Snapdragon chip, and physical QWERTY keyboard, I think the Venue Pro is one of the better Windows Phone 7 launch devices. It's just too bad that T-Mobile isn't going to be selling the device in its stores, which could cause it to lose sales because many customers won't even know that the VP exists.
DELL'S EXPANDING MOBILE PORTFOLIO DELIVERS UNRIVALED ENTERTAINMENT, PRODUCTIVITY AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES FOR PROFESSIONALS, FAMILIES, STUDENTS, GAMERS & MORE
• New Venue Pro Smartphone Joins Dell’s Growing Family of Mobility Solutions
• Cutting Edge Form Factor Seamlessly Switches Between Entertainment and Productivity
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 1, 2010 – Dell today announced an expansion to its mobile portfolio with the new Venue Pro, the only vertical QWERTY Windows Phone 7 smartphone that gives professionals, families, students and gamers more options to stay connected, access the content they love and applications for success. The Venue Pro is the latest in Dell's commitment to provide innovative mobile solutions, which include the acclaimed Streak 5 pocket tablet.
The Venue Pro is designed to take productivity, social networking and on-the-go entertainment to new heights. Available immediately at Microsoft retail stores,Store.Microsoft.com, and today direct from Dell, the Venue Pro is a Windows Phone 7 Smartphone featuring a cutting-edge portrait layout QWERTY keypad for faster text entry, editing and connecting with friends and family.
Any Way You Slide It
In addition to the QWERTY keypad, the new Venue Pro comes with Xbox LIVE and pre-loaded work/life applications that make everything easier and more beautiful on its sharp, bright and responsive 4.1-inch AMOLED touch display, which features rugged Gorilla Glass® for exceptional durability. Windows Phone 7 Live Tiles keep priorities in focus, and the Venue Pro’s single-button access delivers everything you care about including Bing for search, Xbox LIVE for games, and Zune for music and video.
“No matter how you slide it, the Dell Venue Pro with Windows Phone 7 brings a fresh new approach of doing more with less,” said Michael Tatelman, Dell vice president and general manager, Dell consumer sales and marketing. “We’re continuing a path of creating smart, innovative and new mobile experiences to help people discover new ways to enjoy the web, connect with friends, and navigate their lives.”
Elegantly designed, the Venue Pro's elliptical, slender form factor slips easily into your pocket. A 5-megapixel camera, high-speed wireless, and cloud-based services make it easy to keep in touch, share experiences and enjoy music, movies and more.
Carrier, Pricing & Availability Information
The Dell Venue Pro is available immediately at Microsoft retail stores, Store.Microsoft.com and direct from Dell by visiting www.Dell.com/VenuePro or calling directly at 1-800-308-DELL. Carrier and additional pricing information provided below.
• Carrier: T-Mobile USA*, with two-year contract† and qualifying data plan are required
• New Activation: 8GB = $99.99*
• New Activation: 16GB = $149.99*
• Upgrade Activation: 8GB = $199.99*
• Upgrade Activation: 16GB = $249.99*
• Without Contract**: 8GB = $449.99
• Without Contract**: 16GB = $499.99
Specifications
• Portrait slider with QWERTY keypad
• 4.1” WVGA AMOLED multi-touch display
• Windows Phone 7 operating system
• Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon solution with integrated 1GHz processor
• 3G + Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
• Bands/Mode: UMTS 900/1700/2100/AWS, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900; HSDPA 7.2Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• 5MP auto-focus camera
Follow conversations on Twitter and in the blogosphere: #DellVenuePro
Key Links:
Dell Venue Pro: Product details page
Dell Facebook: Join the Conversation
Microsoft Windows Phone 7: Additional details
About Dell:
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to its customers and uses that insight to make technology simpler and create innovative solutions that simplify daily activities and help people stay entertained, connected and in touch. Learn more at www.dell.com.
