Let's get right to it. We knew Dell was working on something mobile, but we didn't really know how deep the rabbit hole went. Unexpectedly, that question was answered last night after five upcoming phones and one multi-touch tablet were detailed in leaks to Engadget. The devices are primarily Android-powered, but there's a Windows Phone 7 device mixed in as well. It's all just specs and renders, but what's there is sure impressive.
The Android Weather Report
First up we have the
Smoke. To say this device is unique is an understatement — it's just downright strange for an Android phone, but in an entirely good way. The Smoke is a "Portrait QWERTY tablet" device, much like the candybars we know and love, but slightly longer — and much better looking. The specs say it will be running
FroYo, Google's next Android release, on-top of Qaulcomm's upcoming
MSM7230 processor, an 800Mhz chip promising more than enough power for HD output and Flash support. There's no touch-support on the 2.8" screen, though a touch pad is said to provide basic navigation. But more striking than it's internals or design is the Smoke's target demographic. We've yet to see an Android handset really capture the business crowd, and the Smoke may be the phone to do just that. VPN control via 802.1x, Exchange support and remote-wipe capabilities are all features found in the iPhone, but also built into the Smoke. Meanwhile, combined accounts and inboxes — once BlackBerry's game — are included here as well, making this a potential winner with the corporate crowd.
Meanwhile, there's the
Flash and
Thunder, two multimedia-heavy devices aimed at media-lovers and creative types, or so Dell says. The Flash is running the same processor as the Smoke, with largely similar specs. However, a bigger 3.5" WVGA screen with multi-touch support and 5 megapixel image stabilized camera make things a bit more consumer-friendly. The Thunder, however, takes everything good about the Flash and cranks it up to 11. Here you've got a 4.1" OLED multi-touch screen, 8 megapixel camera, and according to Engadget, the potential for a Snapdragon chip to power it all. Vaguely detailed features like "integrated web video Hulu app" streaming radio also hint at a greater, media-centric purpose than most Android phones as well. OS-wise, things are running Eclair 2.1 for now, but customized with Dell's own "Stage" UI — something that looks strangely familiar to some of
HTC's offerings. Imitation is the best form of flattery, however, so you can probably expect great things from Dell's new UI layer.
Tablets That Make Phone Calls
Finally, to round things off, we've been given more information on two devices we've seen before: Dell's
Aero and
Streak tablets. The Aero is also an Android phone, but most likely running an older 1.5 variant, with the potential for upgrades later on. Unlike Dell's other offerings, the Aero is a little more conservative in terms of specs, featuring a 624MHz Marvel processor, social media integration and a webkit browser with Flash Lite support. While it doesn't quite compare to the other devices leaked last night, it will be the first to land in the hands of consumers, with a supposed 2nd quarter launch on AT&T in the US.
More information on Dell's 5" and 7" Streak tablets also broke, with big news that the larger variant,
Looking Glass, will be rocking
Tegra 2 upon its release in November. Besides running Android 2.1 Eclair, there's whole bevy of multimedia functionality included, including an optional DTV tuner, 3G modem for mobile messaging and 1.2 Megapixel webcam. Interestingly, the 7" Looking Glass will feature Wireless-N connectivity and Bluetooth 3.0 support, compared to the B/G and Bluetooth 2.1 specs found on the Streak. The 5" Streak still has a few tricks of its own, however, including front and back facing cameras, and, of course, the ability to actually make phone-calls.
The Best Launch Windows Phone 7?
Undoubtedly the biggest announcement to come from the barrage of leaks are concrete details on one of Windows Phone 7's launch devices, the Dell
Lightning. As is the case with all of Microsoft's launch phones, the Lightning is packing a 1GHz QSD8250
Snapdragon processor, as well an impressive 4.1"
OLED capacitive multi-touch display. But unlike other Phone 7 devices we've seen thus far, this is a portrait slider device and the best launch model we've seen yet. Other features are what you'd expect from Microsoft's
strict launch spec, including things like FM Radio and GPS. However, the combination of physical keyboard, spacious display and killer design may just give the likes of HTC and LG a run for their money.
With most of these devices, Dell has Apple clearly in its sights. Flash support is being touted as a big feature on all but their Streak and Looking Glass tablets, and Dell obviously wants to improve Android's potential as a multimedia powerhouse. With a big focus on video capture, editing and sharing Dell seems eager to make many of the iPhone's features standard fare on Android, without relying on Marketplace apps. You can see it with the business-oriented Smoke as well. And of course, there's no denying that Dell has a solid design team working to release some of the best-looking phones on the market — a title the iPhone has largely held with an aluminum fist.
There's also the company's lone Windows Phone 7 device, a bold entry into unproven waters. Dell is no doubt aware that they're late to the Android party, but should Phone 7 succeed, the Lightning could very well be a runaway success. Dell's put a great deal of work into these phones, and it shows; one can only assume their goal is to bring something new to the Android platform, and to Windows Phone 7 as well. It'll be a long while still before we have these phones in our hands, but as a relative newcomer to the mobile market, Dell sure knows how to make good impression.
Image credits: Engadget
