Dell Venue Pro Firmware Update In-Progress, Promising Improved Wi-Fi and More

We've never had the opportunity to review the Dell Venue Pro ourselves (we requested one from Dell but never got a response) but when the majority of responses you read online from owners are negative, you have to assume something has gone wrong. Finally Malcolm Williams, a frequent contributor to WMPoweruser, brings news that Dell is close to completing their promised new firmware update which aims to resolve many of the issues plaguing Dell Venue Pros (including the new AT&T models). Owners of the unique but troubled device have plenty to look forward to when it finally arrives:

• The freezing issue when using Wi-Fi, likely the single biggest bug that has held the Venue Pro back since its launch, appears to have finally been fixed across ALL models.
• Signal strength is said to be hugely improved and Williams even claimed to have reached T-Mobile's HSPA+ network in Chicago with the new firmware. Also the firmware now has better signal optimization when the device communicates with cell towers; previously the device would continuously search for towers and thus drain the battery life faster than normal.
• A Yahoo mail bug has been resolved. Previously the inbox would fail to register with the lock screen for email notification.
• The Venue Pro's camera has seen several new additions including Metering Modes (determining the focus location), Exposure Compensation range (negates abnormal tint, especially with flash), and the Anti-Banding option.
• Performance is said to be much snappier in the new beta firmware despite lower benchmark scores when compared to NoDo. Williams specifically mentions that Fable: Coin Golf loads noticeably faster.

What was the root of all of these issues? Apparently Dell confirmed that it was in fact the MicroSD cards they have been using in their devices and users also knew this for quite some time before its confirmation. However in the end the beta appears to be resolving issues on every device configuration available, which is a very good sign for current owners. Finally, Williams touched upon the always important release date but unfortunately could not say much on it. Here's a quote from his writeup:

Of course, this leads to the question of when the firmware will be released. Days, weeks, months, next year? It won’t be next year, but it also won’t be tomorrow or next week. If I were a betting man, I would say next month tops, if everything goes smoothly. [...] Just give it time.

We had a few words to say about Dell and how disappointing their Windows Phone strategy has been so far despite its promising start, but the company has owned up to their mistakes and this is a reassuring sign for future Dell Windows Phones as well.

How do you feel about this future update? If you are a Venue Pro owner, is this enough to get you back on board or have you already moved on to greener pastures?

Source: WMPoweruser