Dell has launched its Android-powered Aero smartphone at a $100 price point with a new AT&T contract ($300 without).
The device – which boasts a slick multi-touch, 3.5-inch display – ships with a number of on-board apps, such as Quick Office, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Aero also packs a 5-megapixel camera with 8x zoom, flash, dedicated camera key and advanced shooting/editing capabilities.
Additional features include:
- 624MHz Marvell CPU.
- Multi-task capabilities with GPS, plus hands-free conversations.
- 640 x 360p capacitive multi-touch display with pinch-to-zoom functionality.
- Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz).
- Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100 MHz).
- WiFi + Bluetooth.
- 2 GB (Micro SD) on board with expandable memory available up to 32 GB.
- Full HTML Browser with Adobe Flashlite.
- GPS/A-GPS navigation.
- POP, IMAP, Webmail and Microsoft Active Sync E-mail.
Unfortunately, the 3.67oz Aero runs a pre-Eclair version of Android. However, as Phil Nickinson of Android Central notes, the device is so “heavily skinned” you may actually never notice.
Still, the Aero looks like a sweet deal to me. Of course, not having the latest version of Android will almost certainly discourage prospective buyers – but those will mostly be fanbois who would undoubtedly choose a higher-end phone to begin with.
Nevertheless, what I find most interesting about the Aero is Dell’s decision to move the usual buttons located at the bottom of the screen to the side of the device, something which appears to indicate a rapid evolution and customization of Android-based (smartphone) hardware.
