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Dell dropping Windows Phone 7 devices from its roadmap? (update: Dell responds, is definitely still in the game)

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:54:00 +0000

Now we don't have much more to go on here than some analyst chatter and a lengthy article from TechCrunch, but if you believe what you read, a major player has just dropped Windows Phone 7 devices from its roadmap. ~~And that player is Dell~~. According to Jonathan Goldberg, an telecom analyst at Deutsche Bank, the only remaining partners currently working on Windows Phone 7 handsets are HTC, Samsung, and LG. If this is true (and that's a big if), that means that the seriously awesome looking Dell Lightning that we spied in leaks recently will never see the light of day -- as a WP7 device, at least.

We already knew that HP was out of the game (instead focusing on webOS phones), but the casual suggestion that Dell has made for the door here is somewhat suspect. The company itself hasn't made any statements (we've reached out but have yet to hear back), and while Dell has certainly concentrated a lot of effort on Android devices recently, its partnership with Microsoft is long-standing (despite dabbling in the world of open source). If the story turns out to be true, it could spell mixed (if not outright bad) tidings for the Windows Phone 7 launch, which Goldberg alleges may cost Microsoft upwards of half a billion dollars -- no small fee. Losing two of the biggest computer-makers in the world can't feel very good when you're trying to fight your way back to relevancy, but at least on the bright side, neither HP nor Dell have a track record of making anything other than heroically mediocre handsets. Take this all with a grain of salt right now, however, as the author of the TechCrunch article provides no source for the statements from Goldberg, and... well, he's an analyst, and they're prone to making up all kinds of crazy things. We're investigating, and will let you know as soon as we have more info.

Update: We've been pinged back by Dell's Matt Parretta, and he was 100 percent clear that Dell was most certainly still part of the Windows Phone 7 game. In the company's words:

Any reports, or speculation, that report Dell will not support Windows Phone 7 are false... Microsoft announced Dell as a supporting partner at this year's Mobile World Congress and nothing's changed. We are excited to collaborate with Microsoft on Windows Phone 7, and are looking forward to bringing customers amazing mobile experiences.

Furthermore, the analyst in question here (Jonathan Goldberg) has also reached out to us to clarify his statements, saying that he believes Dell is still a partner on Windows Phone 7, just not a launch partner. Dell was mum on release schedules, but one thing is clear -- they intend to follow through on this collaboration.

Dell dropping Windows Phone 7 devices from its roadmap? (update: Dell responds, is definitely still in the game) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Thunder spied again, still looking awesome

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:16:00 +0000

Looks like the faucet's starting to turn wide open on Thunder leaks, seeing how this would be the second we've seen in a single day -- and we suppose you could even count this one twice since the source appears to have two units at his disposal. AndroidSPIN doesn't have any new details to report with this round of shots, but needless to say, talk of a 4.1-inch AMOLED display looks as real as ever, and it looks like all of these test units are running stock Android 2.1. Sadly, considering how long the Mini 5 / Streak was in the leak pipeline prior to release, we can't promise that we're going to see a retail launch on this one any time soon -- but it certainly gives you pause before pulling the trigger on an AT&T-locked version of the Streak now, doesn't it?

Dell Thunder spied again, still looking awesome originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Killer 2100 network card sees $40 price drop, adoption by Alienware

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:39:00 +0000

For a computer peripherals startup, there's nothing quite like landing a contract with the big boys, and that's precisely what the whiz kids over at Bigfoot Networks have done. When we spoke with company executives back at Computex, we got the impression that they were pushing for OEM integration, and if you're going to aim, you may as well aim high. As of today, Dell's Alienware line can be configured with one of the well-regarded network cards pre-installed, and while you may find it impossible to believe that a NIC could lower your ping time, quite a few critics have been proven wrong. The card can be added to the Alienware Aurora, Aurora ALX, Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops, and if you've already got a tower you're pleased with, you'll probably enjoy the $40 price drop on standalone retail units. If you need your memory jogged, that makes the once-$129.99 card a far more tantalizing $89.99.

Continue reading Killer 2100 network card sees $40 price drop, adoption by Alienware

Killer 2100 network card sees $40 price drop, adoption by Alienware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:25:00 +0000

Bummer. If you were planning to get your Streak pre-order in today, but were going to opt for the $549 off-contract version rather than the $249 on-contract version, we're sad to inform you that it's the exact same device in both scenarios. Not that we're shocked or anything, but Dell's own Lionel Menchaca has confirmed the tragedy via Twitter (shot after the break), noting that the $549 version of the Dell Streak "will not be SIM unlocked." In case that needed any more clarity, he continued: "It is SIM-locked to AT&T." Fairly lousy news for those hoping to snag one and pop a few international rental SIMs in as they headed off on their late-summer escapades, but it still makes us wonder whatever happened to that T-Mobile-ized version that sauntered through the FCC back in April. Angela Lansbury, we need you. Desperately.

Continue reading Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world

Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video)

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:23:00 +0000

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Dell_s_4_1_inch_AMOLED_Android_handset_caught_on_video'; Did it get hot in here all of a sudden or is it just this extremely sexy prototype we're looking at? Yes, the Dell Thunder that boomed onto your internet screens back in April is back, and this time we've got video of it too. Our tipster reports an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash on the back -- which includes 720p video capture capabilities -- along with a removable 1,400mAh battery. His prototype's running vanilla Android 2.1 at present, though the final units can probably be expected to ship with Dell's custom skin on top. Screen resolution is purportedly 800 x 480, though judging by that 7 x 4 icon grid up there and our tipster's own experience, it could be even higher; the 4.1-inch display looks to indeed be of the OLED variety, as our earlier leak had indicated. All that and it has the looks of a pocket-sized supercar. Enough teasing, skip past the break for the video.

P.S. With Thunder now confirmed as an honest to goodness device (and not just renders), the rest of the April leak would seem to be validated including the Windows Phone 7 Lightning handset, the 7-inch Looking Glass Android tablet, and the two mid-range Flash and Smoke Android devices.

[Thanks, Fahad]

Gallery: Dell Thunder prototype leaks out

Continue reading Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video)

Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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