Dell Venue Pro Available Starting Today, Will Ship by December 9th

While the initial stock of Dell's Windows Phone 7-based Venue Pro may have been plagued with severe WiFi connectivity issues (like not being able to connect to secured WiFi locations), that's obviously not stopping Dell from getting on the bandwagon and finally giving the device an official launch, like it deserves. The company has issued a press release this morning, announcing that the portrait-sliding smartphone is available starting today.

The Dell Venue Pro was one of the most anticipated Windows Phone 7 devices since Microsoft officially announced the new mobile Operating System. The device features a 4.1-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, and is a portrait slider that has a full physical QWERTY keyboard. The handset also features a 5MP camera on the back, with LED flash.

Prices vary for the device, depending on how much memory you want, giving some options for customers. If you're looking for the cheapest price, and you don't need 16GB of space, you're looking at forking over $99.99, after you sign a new, two-year contract with T-Mobile. But, if you do need that 16GB of space, the price tag jumps up to $149.99, as long as you sign that two-year contract with the magenta network. Check out the full press release below for more information, including prices for upgrades.

Press Release

DELL'S EXPANDING MOBILE PORTFOLIO DELIVERS UNRIVALED ENTERTAINMENT, PRODUCTIVITY AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES FOR PROFESSIONALS, FAMILIES, STUDENTS, GAMERS & MORE

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

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