Dell released a new firmware for Venue Pro owners. The update fixes at least WiFi lockup issues experienced by some users. T-Mobile US and customers outside of US should see their devices updated soon.
Brandon Watson just wrote on the Windows Phone Developer Blog that Windows Phone Mango is now available for developers to install on their own retail devices! To do this, you need a developer account (http://create.msdn.com), a developer unlocked Windows Phone, and the new Windows Phone Developers Tools Beta 2.
To install Mango on your own device, here’s what you need to do:
The Windows Phone SDK includes the following
As an added bonus to students, Brandon also told about a program where Microsoft will give out 50 special Windows Phone Mango Developer devices to students.
This is especially well timed for the tens of thousands of student developers who have registered through DreamSpark or related programs. Just as our Spring Cleaning program encouraged developers to finish up their projects over the past few months, delivering thousands of new apps, summer break is the perfect time for student developers to relax and have some fun with Mango. With the free Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta 2 and free access to Mango, now is the perfect time to see what you can do with Windows Phone. To make it even more interesting for students looking for a great summer project, we’ve set aside 50 Mango phones for those students who are building the next big thing on Windows Phone. Want one? Here’s what to do:
- Make sure you’re registered for DreamSpark
- Download and install Expression Studio Ultimate and the new Mango Windows Phone Developer Tools (available free as a member of DreamSpark)
- Get the free Sketchflow Template for Windows Phone and create a Sketchflow mock-up of your app
- Post the Sketchflow mock-up somewhere online and tweet out the link using the hash tag #WPAppItUp
- We will review all prototypes and will contact the developers who submit the best ones and send them a special Mango developer device
Enjoy the Mango bits and don’t forget to show your Windows Phone with Mango to your friends!
A WPcentral tipster sent them the image you see above, a roadmap of what is to be expected from Dell this year.
In April, 2011, we should see what Dell calls the Venue Pro MLK. This could very well be the original Dell Venue Pro, but with a new software version. Maybe the Dell Venue Pro but with Windows Phone 7.5. We’ve previously heard that 7.5 will be released sometime next fall.
In July, 2011, we should see the Dell Wrigley. According to the roadmap, it will have the following features:
In September, 2011, we’ll see the Dell Hancock available with the following specs:
Roughly a month from the Hancock, we’ll see the Dell Millennium announced with the following specs:
Dell is moving their 25,000 workers from using BlackBerry’s to their own Windows Phone 7, called Dell Venure Pro. This move is done to promote their own Windows Phone 7, and also cut costs. Dell calculates that they could save up to 25% in mobile communication servers needed to run BlackBerry service. Their switch to WP7 will start next week.
Windows Phone 7 has started off with a big bang, and New Zealand was the first country to get the new devices with the brand new WP7 on them. When WP7 was originally announced, not a single carrier in Finland was said to get the Windows Phone 7′s in the first batch, but that has apparently changed.
Vesa-Matti “Vesku” Paananen, Business Development Executive at Microsoft, told that the first Windows Phone 7′s will ship in Finland during week 44, in other words between October 25th and 31st (tomorrow!). Localization will still be missing for now, but eventually we will also get a Suomi localized version. That will not be a problem for persons that like to use their phones in English, French, Italian, German or Spanish.
Microsoft has been so kind and compiled a list of the key features for every Windows Phone 7 device that was announced yesterday.
With a 4.1″ AMOLED display coupled with a built-in portrait keyboard, The Dell Venue Pro is designed both for productivity and entertainment.
Features include:
Hit view Post for the full list.
Microsoft has put together a short video showing us 5 Windows Phone 7′s that was released yesterday. They all have a 1GHz CPU and 720p video recording in common. The phones seen in the video are Dell Venue Pro, HTC HD7, HTC Surround, LG Quantum and Samsung Focus.
Meet the new Windows Phone 7 devices available from Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung.
MeeGo has been ported to run on the Nexus One, Dell Streak and HTC Desire! The project is still in beta stage, so don’t expect a final release anytime soon.
More proof and video after the break!
The Dell Mini 3i will launch in China later this week. The phone will come with a 3.5″ capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 640×360. What Dell have included in the package, is a stylus made for capacitive touchscreens. This comes especially handy to for those that want to write Chinese with their phones. Apart from this, the phone will have a 3MP auto-focus camera with flash. The Dell Mini 3i will be the first phone to run on the Linux-based Open Mobile System(OMS).
The phone will be priced at 4800 Chinese Yuan(~500€).
Video after the break.
The Chinese version of the Dell Mini 3i has already been unboxed. What is also cool about this version, is the stylus designed to work on a capacitive touchscreen. This comes especially handy to those of you who would like to write Chinese with your phone :) Two more pictures after the break.
