Dell's Venue tablets are getting a new look. The updated Venue 7 and Venue 8 tablets, available starting July 1, priced at $159 and $199 respectively. The pair of tablets boast slimmer dimensions and improved specs and an update to Android 4.4 KitKat.
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Both tablets have undergone a slight cosmetic makeover, swapping out the sleek black soft touch rear panel for a black plastic textured finish. The new panel provided a nice comfortable grip on both devices. Dell has also redone the rear camera, ditching the chrome lining surrounding it in a black glossy plastic. Measuring 11.9 ounces, 8.5 x 5.0 x 0.35 inches, the Venue 8 is slimmer and lighter than its original counterpart 12.3 ounces, 8.34 x 5.1 x 0.38 inches. The updated Venue 7 (11.4 ounces, 7.53 x 4.6 x 0.35 inches) is somewhat heavier measuring 11 ounces, 7.6 x 4.65 x 0.38 inches.
In terms of display, the Venue 8's 8-inch screen resolution has been bumped up to 1920 x 1200 from 1280 x 800p. Keeping in line with most budget tablets on the market, 7-inch Venue retains its 1280 x 800 resolution. Dell has outfitted each tablet with Waves MAXXAudio Pro audio technology for what the company claims will be a premium audio experience.
The Venue tablets have similar specs including 1GB of RAM, 16GB of eMMC storage Intel HD Graphics (Imagination PowerVR G6400) with Miracast support. The new Venue 7 has been upgraded from 1.6-GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor to Intel Atom CPU Z3460 while the Venue 8 has gone from a 2-GHz Intel Atom Z2580 processor to a 2.1-GHz Intel Atom CPU Z3480. For ports, each device offers microUSB, microSIM slot, a combination headphone/microphone jack. There's also a microSD card reader expanding the tablets' storage to 64GB.
Dell will also release a series of accessories for the tablets including a Dell Bluetooth Keyboard Folio, a Bluetooth Portable Speaker and a Duo Tablet Case. Venue 8 owners can also look forward to the Dell Venue Cradle capable of wireless charging. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced for the cache of accessories.
We're looking forward to testing the Dell Venue 7 and 8 against other budget tablets on the market including the Toshiba Excite Go and the HP 7 Plus.
