Dell Aero is AT&T's second Android phone
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 22nd 2010 10:04AM
posted March 22nd 2010 10:04AM
posted March 22nd 2010 10:04AM
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Cool pic.
@Atkins Could be great, but the bezel is quite thick. Opinions. http://j.mp/aero-by-dell-impressions
Google search will be cut again.
@grydlok Damn it this is the final straw. I've been waiting for a Android phone to come to AT&T forever, and when it finally does AT&T cripples it.
I'm just going to eat the cancellation fee and head over to a cellphone company that hopefully doesn't suck hairy wookie balls.
@grydlok
If you like the hardware, just reflash it with a clean Android ROM.
@NaeemTHM No ones knows this for sure about AT&T locking this down. Let's hope the Mini 5 is announced soon and that it's as open as the Nexus One!
@grydlok I'd bet against it.
If att goes all Msnbc: lo
@NaeemTHM Get the AT&T-flavored Nexus One. It's not polluted with carrier crapware. I got mine last week, and I love it.
If att goes all Msnbc: Lockdown on the HTC desire im gona go krazy... thats the only reason im thinking about heading over there
@mondeca You know now that I think about it, I guess the Back Flip is more of a Sidekick-esque phone, and not meat to be a full featured smartphone.
You're right it, doesn't hurt to check out that Nexus One.
@NaeemTHM
I completely agree. However, I am going to take a different path and get a nexus one.
I was also waiting to decide between android and webos. However, with the crap they pulled on android and the delay to webos (presumable to screw it up also) I'm just going with an unlocked phone.
As for "hairy wookie balls" that was awesome. Coffee almost came out my nose!
@NaeemTHM Well if I might suggest Verizon and getting a Droid. I was an AT&T (cingular) customer for 11 years. I waited patiently for an Android phone and then came the Backflip, ugh. That exact day was when I left AT&T and went to Verizon, got a Droid and rooted it day one. I have NEVER been happier with the service or a device. AT&T can go suck hairy wookie balls.
@Darkseider
Agreed. I love me my Droid.
@mondeca
Just received mine today. Charging it up right now!
@kjb434 you cant unless they root it and that would be a bit harder when its locked down, ya know?
@pachi72 I can live with that. Not like I am going to be putting people on hold constantly to browse the web. Not to mention it is a phone, you know. I will call you back?
Damn, that looks slick!
@LiqwidZero Blasphemous Bezels, Batman!
But, too bad. I'm switching to Sprint, next month. :)
Welcome, Dell. An old familiar name to a new game.
It's probably called "Aero" because the interface from that pic looks like it's ripping straight from Vista.
im guessing the specs arent that great...i need a nexus one with a qwerty
@jiggz
Step one: buy a Droid
Step two: install a 2.1 ROM
Step three: overclock to 1 Ghz
There's your N1 with keyboard.
at least from that one screenshot i like the skin, though.... :/
I hope the Mini 5 is next!
Dell, bring us loads of info on this and the mini 5 at CTIA, please.
Phone looks great, but AT&T is gonna lock it down.
AT&T: Raising the bars...on the prison cells. LIGHTS OUT!
It is really a shame because AT&T used to have the unequivocal best phone lineup of any carrier in the US. Now it's just crap since it's gotten the iPhone. I cannot wait until most carrier fully upgrade to 4G so there can be so real competition. With AT&T, VZW, and the rest of the world all being LTE and if the network disparities rollover, AT&T will deservedly be in hot water. It's just a shame that Sprint has such a bad reputation, but it's plans are the best and phone lineup have greatly improved.
@derX
Why did sprint get such a bad rep? When I was with them I never had problems.
@derX AT&T raping their phone's firmware is not new. They've been doing that even before the iPhone. If this phone's firmware is locked down, blame it on Dell that bent over for AT&T.
@kiden
They were known for poor coverage (which I guess can be regional thing) as well as having just atrocious customer service, which was just about universally agree upon. And their phones sucked.
But things have changed leaps and bounds. If only Sprint had chosen LTE, though. Although, companies seem receptive to building devices that work with WiMax.
@kiden, he was talking about AT&T. Sprint is still pretty awesome they just need to get some nice phones (plus they seem the most serious about 4g)
@pika2000
AT&T raping their phone's firmware is not new. They've been doing that even before the iPhone. If this phone's firmware is locked down, blame it on Dell that bent over for AT&T.
AT&T did not alter WinMo. Didn't alter Symbian. They really started screwing up their phones after the iPhone. This also happens to coincide with the rise of the popularity of smartphones amongst consumers. Yes, Dell bent over the table, but only because AT&T asked it. I'm not at all blaming Dell who's new into the cell phone game. AT&T makes these demands of vulnerable companies like Motorola with its precarious comeback and the nascent Dell cell phone manufacturer. They didn't fuck with Apple.
AT&T has certainly allowed itself become an unkempt tyrant and I actually cannot wait to see it once exclusivity ends.
@Templarian
And for good reason, their Clearwire venture seems to be headed to hell and the company is losing customers and profits. 4G is really all they have going for them. I really do wish them well. I don't want to even think about the American telecom scene without Spint (honestly, no one gives a damn about TMobile) as VZW and AT&T already appear to be in collusion.
@derX
I had a HTC Wizard long before iPhone with gobs of bloat on it. So it wasn't some after iPhone lets screw up all the other phones scenario. They been screwing them up with bloatware....lol
@derX AT&T messed with all of its S60 phones. E62 and E71x are the worse with screwed up firmware.
@derX No, AT&T has always raped their branded phones from the beginning. All AT&T branded Nokia phones are full of crap. Same thing with AT&T branded SE phones. This is already happening when there was still Cingular. Again, Dell could simple do a deal with AT&T that prohibits them from touching the firmware, or just sell the phones themselves. Nothing to do with Apple unless you're just an Apple hater that bash Apple for anything. Dell has to man up and tell AT&T to GTFO, or simply become a wuss like everybody else (Motorola, Palm, etc).
@pika2000
How can anything I've said at all possibly be miscontrued as an attack on Apple or any company besides AT&T at all? My point is since AT&T has gotten the iPhone, it's seemingly paid a lot less attention to its other phone inventory since it's gotten itself a cash cow. That only speaks to AT&T's neglect and nothing else - there is no reason why AT&T, the second largest telecom in the US, is the last to pick up Android devices.
Also, I do not count adding bloatware to a device as screwed it up - it's annoying, be it doesn't remove anything from the device. What I count as screwing up a device is removing key features. AT&T is now doing what VZW used to do and should received the same attention for doing so, accordingly.
I think it is time Apple moves beyond At&t!!
@Unverified User Agreed
What I would like to see is ATT/Dell offer this phone along with the Dell mini 5/streak as a combo that way if you don't need the large phone/MID to carry around you have the option of switching to a smaller phone
@KMac007 How would that work? (I'm not criticizing, my interest is slightly piqued but I don't see it being good as I'll get into). Would you swap SIMs, would they give you a clone that would do something like dual ring both phones, or would you have separate SIMs. I think the only safe solution for the carrier and their revenue stream is for the first option, not exactly a convenient idea for the consumer.
Next, phones are subsidized because they get a 2 year revenue stream. What that means is, they are getting the same revenue from your contract by giving you one phone as two, in your scenario. So, the second would essentially be unsubsidized. Why wouldn't they just have you by your 2nd phone and have it unlocked (consumer might be better off anyways). Perhaps you were hoping for a slight discount, but anything over $50 and these would just be resold on EBAY instantly. Not a great move for their revenue stream.
In the end, I don't see it, but maybe you foresaw something differently that I didn't think of. And I'm not sure of the technical laws or possibilities as far as my cloning of a SIM solution, and I believe distinct SIMs would not function as you envision and would be rife with contract splitting (ala family plans).
I'm hoping Dell brings their negotiating bats and doesn't get any backflip treatment on this. Also, my hope is that if Dell can push enough of this and the mini 5, then Dell will have more at stake by keeping the phone up to date with good software and support. I think many here think the mini 5 wont live up to half its expectations if it gets backflip treatment, therefore, why would AT&T even bother unless they think it'll get a new contract with Apple. Otherwise it's in their interest to push as much hardware and new contracts as possible.
In the end, I'm betting against backflip treatment, but only a benjamin.
It appears a new Android device is released every 24 hours! Cool, now there's a lot to choose from! Go Android!
Hopefully Apple gets the message and put the iPhone on all the networks(except Sprint) to stay competive.
DISCLOSRE: I am an ATT employee!
I played with this yesterday and I just got a Nex1 Friday and the only thing the Aero has on Nex1 is the price (subsidized). I'm coming from a Tilt2 so i'm an Android Newbie if there ever was one and with my limited knowledge of the OS, i'm happy I have a Nex1. Also the mini 3 I used yesterday didn't have 2.1 OS, so no live wallpaper and speech2text if that matters at all.
I'd wait for the Desire or get a Nex1 now. I also heard the Mini 5 will be around later like as in May/June timeframe.
just saying...
@Photog
Assuming you aren't lying about being an ATT employee, did they lock the phone down like the Backflip?
@avengeryarr
I used a non-branded model, so it didn't have this skin or ATT branding on it. I didn't check to see what the default search was so I cant say. It felt like pondwater compared to my Nex1 in my other hand.
@Photog
Any time frame for the Desire? Have you used one?
@Oxyrt
Have not used Desire, i'm going off it being similar to the Nex1. All I could get was soon for the Desire in terms of release. I've played with the Pre Plus already and a couple of those QM cheapy phones we have.