The Dell Venue Pro is one of the sleekest looking of the WP7 handsets, but we don’t have any firm info about when we’re meant to be able to buy it. Over the weekend a rumor arrived that you’d be able to buy it direct from Microsoft today and through Dell on November 15, but as of now it’s not available in either online store.
Visually, the Venue Pro is one of the most arresting of the phones, with its distinct hard edges, and vertically sliding keyboards. If it is really going to come out in the near future, it might be worth waiting till the end of the day to see if it does go up on Microsoft’s website.
It’s also rumored to go for $199 on contract, in keeping with other WP7 handsets.
UPDATE: They’re at some Microsoft stores, but good luck finding one. They seem to be rare as hen’s teeth, as something seems to have gone wrong with shipping dates. Reader Howard Abraham says he managed to get one (lucky devil), and we’re hearing some reports of purchases, but not many.
From what I gathered, it’s not released on Microsoft’s online store today, but rather at one of the seven physical Microsoft retail stores located around the country.
I just came from one of their physical stores. They said that the Venue Pro did not come in yet. They expect to get them sometime this week.
I called the store in Oak Brook IL near me and they said the shipment was messed up, and to expect them there mid-week. Rich, was this the same store as you? It’s a new store, so the shipment may have very well been sent incorrectly. Or, if you went to a different store, maybe that’s just how it’s going.
I bought one from the Mall of American MS store today. $199 on contract. It’s beautiful. I was surprised at the non-slip texture on the back. Hopefully I won’t drop it.
I went to the Oak Brook store as well, so we both confirmed that they don’t have it in stock right now. Also, they told me that if you send them an e-mail to oakbrookreservations@microsoft.com, they will contact you when they get their shipment.
Thanks for the additional ETA info.
Thanks Rich. You didn’t get any details about quantities did you? I’m afraid by the time I call them, confirm they’re in stock, and head over there they’ll be gone.
Howard, any info you can provide as far as availability and interest at the store you went to?
My sense is that very few people knew the Venue Pro was coming out today. I arrived two hours before the store was scheduled to open but it was already packed full of people trying to win a laptop. I saw six Venue Pros on display but have no way to know if there were more. I was the first phone sale of the day.
Got an e-mail from the Oak Brook store and went to pick mine up. Unfortunately, all of them have been reserved.