Checking Out Dell Phones, The Thunder Prototype

On December 11, 2010, in Dell Thunder, by
0

We have know for a while that there were a few Dell phones scheduled for a 2010 release. We saw previews of what where Lightning, Thunder, Flash, Smoke and Streak, and all looked pretty good. Time has moved on, and so have the original models that we previewed earlier in the year.

The Lightning, is now released under the name Venue Pro, Thunder we have here, Flash is an Android phone we don’t have much news for. Smoke is another Android phone in Froyo guise and Streak is the tablet/smartphone hybrid launched earlier this year.

The Dell Thunder looks also to have been renamed, to the Dell Venue. It’s currently with the FCC awaiting approval, but we got a look at the prototype model and we’re here to share the views.

Dell-Thunder

On the surface the Thunder looks like the other Dell phone in the news, the Venue Pro. The main differences are that is has ditched the slider for a longer body, and uses Android instead of Windows 7. Other than that, it looks much the same phone.

Bear in mind, these were engineering test models and they will probably change quite a bit before release. Anyway, to the phone. The Dell Thunder is a sleek looking device. The large LCD screen covers most of the front body, with just three recessed buttons on the bottom.

The release version is due to have an OLED panel, but the one we saw was LCD. Even though there was no evidence to support that, it looked too dim for OLED. The screen size is just right. Big enough for everything to be crystal clear and easily readable, while not being too big that it will make an uncomfortable bulge in your pocket a la Streak.

The software we saw was Android 1.6, which was again, a pre-release test version. It worked well, all the applications included booted and worked as advertised, so no problems there, even in pre-release. We had trouble getting the camera to work, but once working, was quick to adjust and took pretty decent pictures. We didn’t try video though, as we didn’t have time, but there’s no reason to doubt video quality would be any worse than stills.

Performance wise, the test phone was fast. The Dell phone has a 1GHz Snapdragon QSM8250 CPU with Qualcomm Adreno graphics to drive it. These specs are much like the Nexus One, which seems to handle most things. There was a bit of lag when using the apps drawer, but was snappy everywhere else.

The GPS was disabled, as was FM radio and a few other features, this was an early model after all. It’s difficult to make critical judgments about pre-release hardware, so we won’t.

From what we saw, the Dell Thunder, Venue, or whatever the final name will be, is a decent phone, with decent specs. It looks like it will fill a middle ground rather than set the world on fire, but will be a solid phone nonetheless.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 

The Dell Streak Tablet is like an Android Phone on Steroids

On November 28, 2010, in Dell Streak, News, by
0

dell_streak-2

The dell streak was launched in June across the world, and has been relatively quiet since. As is our habit, we review new gadgets when they first appear, then revisit them a few months after to see how they fare. This give the manufacturer a chance to get a handle on bugs, issues and anything else that slipped through quality assurance before launch.

The big news at the moment is the new Dell phone, the Venue Pro. This new handset is set to compete with BlackBerry, and only time will tell how that one will go. However, the new phone looks to include lessons learned throughout the past couple of years, and seems a step up from previous releases. But we aren’t here to talk about that Dell phone, we’re here to revisit the dell streak.

The Streak is an awkward beast. It’s like the tall guy you knew at school, too big for class, too big for you, but really good at soccer or long jump. He seems awkward in some situations, but perfectly suited to others. That was my initial impression of the Streak, and it hasn’t changed much since.

The unusual form factor is what gives me pause. It’s a 10 millimeter thick lump of plastic, with a 5-inch LCD screen that looks not unlike a Sony PSP. This Dell phone makes a bold statement in a pocket, as it barely fit into my jeans. There is a nice lump in the front pocket that illicit a glance or two as I walk down the street.

It fits nicely in the hand and doesn’t weigh as much as the earth, despite how it looks. It has a smooth, reassuring feel to it. The Gorilla Glass front is clear and thankfully scratch resistant. There are four buttons along the side, a front-facing VGA camera and a headphone jack. There is also a USB port, which is nice.

The big battery is a 1530nmh, out of which we managed a little over ten hours continuous operation. Compare that to barely six for the HTC Desire, and things are looking good.

Performance-wise, the interface is fast and intuitive. The newest Dell phone firmware has speeded things up considerably and now we can flip and slide to our hearts content. Media is handled well, with our test MP4 clip playing seamlessly on the large screen. Detail was good, sound was great and it didn’t kill the battery.

Call quality is also good, sound attenuation is effective, and it seemed to clear out a lot of background noise in our tests. The dull Dell dialer interface is still there though, but doesn’t detract much from the overall feel of the device.

While marketed as a tablet, the Streak is a smartphone in our eyes. Yes it might reflect the fact that society is getting bigger, but it’s capable, colorful and can handle everything you throw at it. The camera is good, call quality is good, applications are good, it’s just, well, good.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 

About Dell cell phones

On March 1, 2010, in Uncategorized, by
0

Dell has recently stepped into the mobile market with its new models of mobile phones and it is expected that these phones will definitely impress the customer. The models Mini 3i, Mini 5 and Dell Pharos traveler are equally well designed and these are at par with the other brands that are already available in the market manufactured by different manufacturers.

Dell is a very successful company with its computer products and it has market all over the world. Dell customers are very impressed with its products. Dell computers, notebooks and servers are very efficient and productive and have satisfied millions around the world.

Dell mobile phones are well designed and have adapted new and latest technology at its credit and trying to tap huge market especially in China with China Mobile and also in various parts of the world. Dell products are quality products, efficient in its working and also internationally recognized.

Surely Dell mobile phones are foreseeing a huge market of customers who will begin to use Dell mobile phones and it will surely be another successful product for the company. It is also expected that, once these initial models are successful in the market, new models will be introduced by the Dell as other mobile manufacturers also introduce such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Erickson, Samsung and LG. Most of the time, mobile companies will be working continuously on improving mobile designs and efficient functioning features. Therefore, Dell also wishes to follow the same pattern of the market and would like to give many more new mobile designs to the customers.

The mobile designs introduced by the Dell Company are very good and have excellent features with video capture, camera, hours of talk time and moderate price. The design of Dell Pharos traveler, Dell Mini 3i and Dell Mini 5 are very good and will surely capture the confidence of customers.

Apart from China, Dell Company will surely market its mobile handsets to many retail stores in the world and will surely gain more sales. This is because there are already Dell customers who are impressed with the working and efficiency of Dell laptops, notebooks and servers and it is expected Dell customers will also begin to appreciate Dell mobile phones.

With the launch of Dell mobile phones, Dell company will gain more recognition and reputation in the market in future and this is because of the excellent designs and models introduced in the market.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 

First Hands-On and Video: Dell Mini 5 Android Slate

On January 8, 2010, in Dell Mini 5, News, Video, by
3

Yesterday, we saw Dell’s Slate concept for the first time. Today, we got to actually play with it. And it’s called the Mini 5.

Dell Mini 5 Hands-ON from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

(Btw, if you want to read yesterday’s stories on the slate, check here.)

Specs that we know: custom Android, SIM (it makes calls), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. And the 5-inch screen supports full multitouch.

In your hand, it’s very light and comfortable to use. The screen is responsive, and Dell’s icon interface makes for intuitive presentation of Android.

It feels a bit more like plastic than, say, the iPod touch. But it was perfectly solid from what we could tell. Making a phone call turns the Mini 5 into a gigantic phone, almost like a handset out of a Carrot Top routine, but Dell expects most consumers will opt to use a headset.

The unexpectedly awesome feature? The 5MP camera. The Dell Mini 5 has a 5-inch screen, and your subject fills the entire frame. It’s an oddly satisfying implementation of a camera, in a super sizing kind of way.

My model wasn’t connected to the web, so I didn’t get to test the browser. And my hands-on time was more than limited (and frankly, a bit frantic), so I can’t really speak sincerely on much else.

But let me say this: I like the Mini 5. And I dare say that Dell’s software—their version of Android onboard—may be equally or more impressive than the hardware itself. I’m not sure I have a need for this or any 5-inch tablet, but you know what? I’m going to give em a shot all the same.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 

Dell Pharos Traveler 117 and 127 SmartPhones

On December 18, 2009, in Dell Pharos, by
0

dell-pharos-phone

Due to a website mishap – some more sap pushed the wrong images or something  – Dell leaked a new line of Pharos branded smartphones. The Traveller 117 and 127, which will be made by Inventec, will rock 7.2Mbps HSDPA, GPS, Windows Mobile 6.1, 2MP camera (.3 front facing camera) and four hours of talk time (200 hour standby).  The 117 will feature a touch screen while the 127 will sport a full QWERTY keyboard (and a Blackberry like design).

Of note, Dell currently sells a number of Pharos PDAs/GPSes, some of which include the ability to make calls.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 

Dell Mini 3i

On November 24, 2009, in Dell Mini 3i, by
3

Dell-Mini-3i

Dell has realized this year that it can’t miss out on the smartphone business especially with a hot OS like Android
available out there. And the company has been busy developing an Android handset for the Chinese market. The Dell Mini 3i isn’t a secret anymore and earlier today it became official. According to the press release, the Dell Mini 3i will be available “later this month” and China Mobile is the carrier that will launch it.

China Mobile is a powerful carrier in China and, with 500 million subscribers, it’s the largest mobile operator in the world. No wonder that Dell wants a piece of that action. So what does the Mini 3i have to offer? Here’s the official specs list of the device:

Michael Yang, vice president and general manager for Greater China Consumer of Dell had this to say about the phone:

People today want to carry their lives with them – they want to discover, capture and share new content as they roam around the world. We believe Dell’s year-long development
collaboration with China Mobile will amplify those experiences better than anyone else in the industry.

He might be right about the way people see smartphones today and that seems to be an indication that Dell will not make phones only for China. In fact we already know that the company is going to launch a Dell Mini 3i version in the USA and other markets. But that version hasn’t been officially announced yet and we might not even see it in stores this year.

The Dell Mini 3i doesn’t have a price yet, so all those China Mobile subscribers will have to wait until their carrier announces them later this month.
Looking for more? See Mobile/Cell Phones or scroll down for carefully selected related items that may also be of interest to you.

Details & Specs

  • China Mobile OPhone OS (custom Android version)
  • Quadband GSM/EDGE
  • 3G support
  • 3.5-inch touchscreen
  • GPS
  • 3-megapixel camera with zoom, auto-focus, flash and video capture
  • Bluetooth
  • microSD support for up to 32GB of storage
  • miniUSB port
  • Dimensions: 58.35 x 122 x 11.7
  • Weight: 105g
  • Price – N/A
Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •