Dell has unveiled the latest device in its line of Intel-powered Venue tablets. While its predecessor is targeted mostly for the consumer, the new Dell Venue 10 7000 is marketed squarely at mobile workers on the go.
The Venue 10 7000 is simply the bigger brother of the older Venue 8 7000, which has received a largely positive reception from reviewers. Although the newer device gets the same 2.3 GHz Intel Atom Z3735F that powers the older tablet and the same RealSense depth-sensing technology that allows users to shift the focus of an image after it is taken, everything else is bigger, faster, or better.
The Venue 10 7000's profile alone will distinguish it largely from any of Dell's earlier tablets, or from pretty much every other tablet available. At 6.2 mm, this device is impressively slim, but what stands out is the barrel-shaped edge that Dell says will help users hold and carry the device. Many people used to the flat surfaces of most tablets might find this ugly, but Dell tells CNET that the design also allows the speakers to face the user however the tablet is positioned, whether in clamshell, presentation, tent, or tablet mode.
Moreover, the barrel-shaped edge is used to combine the tablet with its own keyboard, which is sold separately. Early reviews of the new device say the keyboard and the trackpad are responsive and can just as easily compare to the keyboard and trackpad on Microsoft's Surface tablets.
It's clear from the inclusion of both input devices that Dell is targeting the mobile workforce as its market. However, what is not as clear is whether it is just as easy to do business on the Venue 10 7000, which runs on Android Lollipop, compared to Microsoft's tablets running on Windows 8.1.
With the inclusion of Android for Work, Dell says its latest device is suitable for "both work and play," as the system separates the user's business and personal information and encrypts all work files so that personal apps will not be able to gain access to sensitive business information. Dell has also partnered with Microsoft, which is increasingly trying to reach out to device manufacturers across all platforms, and will start offering Office for Android on the line of Venue 10 and Venue 8 tablets this summer.
The Venue 10 7000 sports a 10.5-inch OLED screen with the same resolution of 2560 x 1600 as the Venue 8 7000. It has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage with up to 512GB of expandable memory, and a 7,000 mAh battery that Dell says can last up to seven hours.
"The Venue 10 7000 gives our customers all that and more: enhanced productivity with a full-sized keyboard and Android for Work, a brilliant display and innovative features like the Intel RealSense snapshot depth camera, all wrapped in a gorgeous design," says Neil Hand, VP of Dell's tablet group.
The latest tablet will be available via Dell's online store in the U.S., Canada, and China beginning next month. The tablet alone will start at $499 and $629 if purchased with the keyboard.
