Dell Venue for T-Mobile Landing in Time for the Holidays

As the information about Windows Phone 7 breaks cover, and Microsoft gets ready to kick off their coverage of the devices in just a few moments, there's no surprise that T-Mobile is getting a little bit of Windows Phone 7 love, too. While Dell's impending Windows Phone 7 devices may have been leaked a few months previous, that doesn't mean the Venue's announcement of future availability doesn't get us any less excited. Previously known as the Dell Lightning, the Dell Venue is a portrait slider, featuring Windows Phone 7.

Details about the device are still pretty vague at the moment, but it looks like the main bits are known: a 4.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, hiding a portrait slider and a full physical QWERTY keyboard. You'll find a 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood, and there's apparently a 5MP camera on the back of the device as well. As far as pricing and a release date go, Dell says that it will launch on T-Mobile "in time for the holidays," but there's no word on pricing quite yet. Dell is also pointing out that T-Mobile is the "launch partner" for the time being, so don't expect to find the Dell Venue launching on AT&T any time soon.

Official Statement

It's true! Get ready to experience a more productive you with Dell's new Venue Pro Windows Phone 7 smartphone with T-Mobile service set to be available in the U.S. this holiday season. It's about mobile productivity...doing more in fewer steps...just the way you want it.

Bill Gorden here, Smartphone General Manager within Dell's Communication Solutions Group. Today I'm here at Center 548 with my colleague Julie Hrudicka in New York City, representing Dell at the launch event for Microsoft's all-new Windows Phone 7 operating system. Center 548 is a hip international cultural arts exhibition and event venue located in Manhattan's Chelsea gallery district. We're here talking to media, bloggers and attendees about the benefits of the new Windows Phone platform, the Dell Venue Pro, and new experiences customers will enjoy. I'm willing to bet reaction from Windows Phone 7 will continue to drive the front page of Techmeme for a while.

You might ask, who the Dell Venue Pro is for? We see the Venue Pro for everyday people with a diverse range of full and busy lives. They need to stay connected, be productive and keep in touch with colleagues, friends and family. Dell designed the Venue Pro to be a multi-purpose always-connected device to help people be more efficient, always connected and entertained.

So, while we're not yet ready to share all details of the Dell Venue Pro, let me highlight some of its key features:

Stunning 4.1" WVGA AMOLED capacitive, multi-touch display

A full portrait QWERTY keyboard to provide a better viewing & messaging experience

Supported with T-Mobile service

Elliptical, slender form provides elegance in a pocket-friendly size

Gorilla Glass for unprecedented durability and scratch resistance

And, since we're here in New York participating in Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch, let me call out some of the highlights and use cases for the new operating system:

People hub: Enter social central to scan Windows Live and Facebook feeds and photos, in addition to dialing or texting friends in the address book.

Pictures hub: Share photos easily from pictures saved to the phone, Facebook and Windows Live. Go from pocket to picture in seconds with a press of the camera button, and send photos from the hub to friends or post to Windows Live or Facebook.

Games hub: Play games with friends, track scores and wins in the gamer profile. With more than 50 popular game titles available at launch, try-before-you-buy demos, Xbox LIVE leader boards, turn-based multiplayer, achievements and more, Windows Phone 7 brings the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience to gamers on the go.

Music + Video: Play movies, TV shows and music quickly. Enjoy custom playlists, listen to podcasts and recommend favorite songs to friends.

Office hub: View, edit, share and sync Microsoft Office documents. Collaborate with co-workers through SharePoint Workspace Mobile.

Marketplace hub: Get quality applications like games, music, entertainment, news, sports, social networking, productivity, travel and many more. Apps are tested and certified to deliver a consistently great experience. Marketplace is also accessible through a PC client that is integrated into Microsoft's popular Zune software.

Want to hear what people are saying about the all-new Dell Venue Pro? Follow the conversation on Twitter using the #DellVenuePro and #windowsphone.

Stay tuned, as we prepare to soon announce additional information for the Dell Venue Pro including pricing, plan options and available purchase paths.