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Dell Venue 8 7000 review: thin design, great screen, gimmicky camera
Engadget doesn't review many tablets anymore. When it comes to Android devices, we're far more likely to write about phablets, those supersized smartphones that for many people have eliminated the need for a dedicated slate. Meanwhile, iPad sales have slowed, and Apple has made so few changes to its products that in some cases we actually recommend you buy the previous-gen model to save money. Still, there are some companies that continue to not just build tablets, but also produce interesting designs. One of them is none other than Dell, a company whose track record includes some sensible Windows slates, a series of forgettable Android tablets and a phablet that was ahead of its time. Lately, though, the company has been undergoing a reawakening, with a series of striking products that includes the XPS 13 and the Venue 8 7000, a $399 Android tablet. The Venue 8, as I'll call it from here on out, is notable mostly for its design, marked by a stunning OLED display and a skinny 6mm-thick frame. It also happens to be the first tablet with Intel's RealSense 3D camera setup. All told, that combination of specs was impressive enough to win it a Best of CES Award. But does that mean you should go out and buy one?
Here's a closer look at Dell's super thin tablet and nearly bezel-less XPS 13
When I invited Sam Burd, the general manager of Dell's personal computer group, to do an interview with me at CES about the state of the PC industry, I did so mostly because, well, Dell knows a lot about computers. I had no idea at the time that Dell would be showing off some amazing stuff at the show, with not one, but two products making the finalists' list for our Best of CES Awards. So, before Mr. Burd and I got to talking about wireless charging and Intel's RealSense technology, he gave me a closer look at both the skinny Venue 8 7000 tablet and the nearly bezel-less XPS 13 Ultrabook. Check out our interview in full below.
Hands-on with the Dell Venue 8 7000 tablet and Intel RealSense
If you've been on vacation even once in the last four years, you've seen it: tourists whipping out awkward tablets with subpar cameras to capture what can only be the worst photographs. Tablets aren't known for their stellar imaging capabilities, but Dell and Intel's next joint effort may change that, at least to some degree. During this morning's Intel Developer Forum keynote, Dell CEO Michael Dell and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich will preview a new tablet: the Dell Venue 8 7000 series. At 6mm thick, the new slate is purported to be the world's thinnest tablet. It's also the first device to feature Intel RealSense -- a photo technology that creates a depth map within every image it takes. Krzanich gave me a quick preview of the device before today's keynote.
Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and refreshed XPS 15 now available online
Dell introduced us to its Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and Haswell refresh of the XPS 15 earlier this month, and starting today both products -- along with two Venue Android slates -- are available online. The Venue 8 Pro, you may recall, offers an 1,280 x 800 IPS display, an Atom processor and an optional Synaptics digitizer. That model will go for $300 and up, while the pen costs an extra $35. Meanwhile, Dell's answer to the Surface Pro 2, the Venue Pro 11, will ship in November. The latest XPS 15, available with a 3,200 x 1,800 IPS display and up to a Core i7 Haswell CPU, starts at $1,500 for a full HD panel and $1,900 for the more pixel-dense version. Finally, the budget-priced Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets, both of which run Android 4.2, are also available today. As previously reported, these guys will set you back $150 or $180, respectively. Head to Dell's website to view all the configuration options.
Dell announces Venue 7 and Venue 8 Android tablets, prices start at $149
When Dell said it was going to revive the Venue brand, we assumed it was referring to Windows tablets. And indeed it was -- it just announced the Venue 8 Pro and Venue 11 Pro running Windows 8.1. But what we didn't know was that Dell was also planning on getting back into the Android market, and that these devices, too, would fall under the Venue brand. Here at a press event in New York City, the company announced the Venue 7 and Venue 8, both of which run Android 4.2.2 (upgradeable to KitKat) and will be offered in both WiFi-only and 4G configurations. As you'd expect, they're exactly what they sound like: the Venue 7 (pictured) has a 7-inch screen, and the Venue 8 is -- yep -- an 8-incher. Neither is particularly high-end: each has a 1,280 x 800 IPS screen and a 2GHz dual-core Intel Z2580 processor. The Venue 7 only has 16GB of internal storage, we're told, though the Venue 8 will be offered with either 16 or 32 gigs. Either way, you have a microSD slot at your disposal if you need more space. Pricing is set at $150 for the Venue 7, while the Venue 8 will cost $180. Both will be available October 18th.
