Dell Venue 10 7000 Review: This Is The Android “Laptop” You’re Looking For

|
, , , ,

We’ve reviewed our fair share of tablets here at Techaeris, including a couple from Dell. When Dell’s 10″ tablet option arrived on my doorstep and I opened it up, I was instantly impressed and couldn’t wait to put it through its paces. Our Dell Venue 10 7000 review takes a look at this Android tablet, complete with Bluetooth keyboard.

Specifications

The Dell Venue 10 7000 features the following specifications:

  • Processor: Intel® Atom™ Processor Z3580 (2M Cache, up to 2.33 GHz)
  • Display: WQXGA 10.5″ (2560 x 1600) OLED
  • RAM: 2GB LP DDR3 RAM integrated
  • Storage: 16 or 32GB eMMC; microSD card slot (up to 512GB)
  • Video Card: Intel® HD Graphics
  • Cameras: 8MP Intel® RealSense™ Snapshot Depth Camera (rear); 2MP (front)
  • Wireless: 802.11ac 1×1 WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1 w/ Miracast
  • OS: Ships with Android 5.0.2, currently running 5.1
  • Battery: 6000mAh (up to 7 hours of battery life)
  • Speakers: Front facing stereo speakers with MaxxAudio Waves
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
  • Dimensions: 9.58″ x 7.69″ x 0.24″
  • Weight: 1.32 lbs
  • Optional Keyboard (weighs 1.03lbs)

In the Box

Our review unit featured the Dell Venue 10 7000 32GB tablet with the optional keyboard. Also included was an AC adapter and microUSB charging cable.

HOW TO: Change system date in OS X ...
HOW TO: Change system date in OS X from Terminal

Design

Upon removing the Dell Venue 10 7000 from the box, one immediately notices the nice weight to it. This isn’t your average lightweight Android tablet and comes in at 1.32lbs – add another pound on that with the optional keyboard. However, it feels extremely sturdy and not cheap at all.

The tablet itself is flat, with a rounded spine on the bottom (if held in landscape orientation). On the left hand side, the power and volume buttons sit near the top with the mic just underneath. The right hand side houses the audio connector, microUSB port, and microSD card slot. The spine contains the speakers and the docking connectors for the optional Bluetooth keyboard. The front of the tablet houses the user facing camera, and two more mics are on top of the tablet. Finally, the back contains the main 8MP camera with 2 2MP cameras below it for the Intel® RealSense™ Snapshot Depth functionality.

The keyboard is nicely designed as well, with a curved magnetic receptacle which houses the hinges to connect to the tablet at the top. The backlit keyboard is pretty thin as well, with nice flat keys and four small rubber feet on the bottom. Interestingly enough, the keyboard is powered by the tablet. There is no microUSB charging port on the keyboard itself, so you won’t be able to use it with any other device. On the plus side, you never have to worry about your keyboard running out of power. There are a few Android specific keys on the keyboard as well which allow you quick access to the home screen, recent apps, search, and even let you lock/unlock the tablet. Other custom keys allow you to toggle the volume, skip songs, adjust the brightness, and toggle the backlight functionality on the keyboard.

Another cool feature is that you can snap the keyboard on in reverse mode allowing you to use the tablet in tent or stand positions, adding to the number of ways you can use this tablet.

Dell-Venue-10-7000-Review-006
The optional keyboard adds other mode options like tent or stand in addition to laptop.

All told, with the keyboard connected to the tablet, the Dell Venue 10 7000 looks like an ultra-portable laptop.

Display

The WQXGA 10.5″ (2560 x 1600) OLED display on this tablet is very rich in colour and has enough range in brightness to be easily viewed under different lighting conditions from bright sunlight outdoors to darker rooms late at night. Being a touchscreen, there is some glare but it’s not too bad and wasn’t overly distracting during day to day usage. The screen is also visible from pretty much any angle.

Performance

Apps and games loaded up on the tablet quickly, and I didn’t notice any performance issues. Using apps, playing games, or watching videos was flawless and there were no visible hiccups or stuttering that I noticed. A couple times the wireless connection did cut out, but I can’t be sure that it was the fault of the tablet or my wireless network. A simple toggling into airplane mode and back again fixed the connection issue quickly.

Software/Ecosystem

There’s not a lot here to note, the Dell Venue 10 7000 runs on Android Lollipop 5.1 after updating it from the 5.0.2 version it ships with. As is the case with the Venue 8 7000, the default Dell launcher doesn’t mess around with things too much and it feels pretty close to stock. Dell has added small things like including the MaxxAudio quick menu under the notification swipe down allowing easy access to the different audio modes. The usual included software shows up here like Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, and a few others. Dell has also included their custom Dell Cast, Dell Live Wallpapers, Dell Gallery, My Dell, and MaxxAudio apps on the device.

Speakers

The stereo speakers on the tablet are pretty decent sounding in any orientation. Because they are embedded in the spine of the device, the sound quality wasn’t affected or changed if the device was in portrait or landscape mode, or used in laptop, tent, stand, or tablet mode.

Camera(s)

Image quality on the 8MP rear and 2MP front facing cameras is about average, and on par with other tablet cameras we’ve tested in the past. Intel’s RealSense™ Snapshot Depth Camera adds some cool functionality with the additional 2MP cameras on the rear of the device that work in conjunction with the main 8MP camera to capture depth information while taking photos when it is enabled.

When a photo is taken using the depth feature, an additional Z pixel is created for each and every X and Y pixel in the photograph. Once captured and stored, this information is used to allow you to refocus the image after you’ve shot it, measure distances between objects in the image, and even select specific objects or people in the image to apply custom filters or editing to that object alone. The few tests I did seemed to work pretty well, and the measurement tool worked best in well lit areas and was impressively accurate in most cases.

Dell’s Gallery app not only displays local images, but can also be linked to Dropbox, Picasa, and Facebook to give users a central gallery for their photos across different social media or storage sites. The app allows you to view your images by timeline, location, person (using face tagging), favourites, and albums (both on the device and albums present in Dropbox, Picasa, or Facebook). If enabled, Facebook comments and likes are also synced to the gallery for the appropriate photo, and you can even respond to comments without leaving the gallery app.

While in the gallery, you can also use the RealSense Snapshot Depth camera features and adjust the focus or measure distances between items in the photo.

Battery Life

Dell states that the Venue 10 7000 gets an average of 7 hours of battery life on a single charge. Once I realized that the Bluetooth keyboard drew power from the tablet, I was a bit more leery of these claims than usual but in the end I was consistently getting a good day’s use out of it while using various apps, playing a few games, and watching a couple videos here and there. The 6000mAh battery included in the tablet is definitely enough to get you through an average day, depending on your usage.

Accessories

As far as accessories go, Dell usually has you covered. The Venue 10 7000 is no exception, as the optional keyboard has already been mentioned in this review. Personally, I wouldn’t get this tablet without it as it extends the functionality of the tablet just that much further, while at the same time adding a protective cover for the surface of the tablet when closed.

Another accessory that is available but we were unable to test is the Dell Cast which will wirelessly transform your Android interface into a user interface that resembles a Windows desktop. Productivity mode in Dell Cast will give you the ability to organize tiles, open multiple browsers, and connect to a monitor and external mouse and keyboard. Entertainment mode on the other hand simply mirrors your tablet content onto a TV or larger display.

Price/Value

While build quality and functionality on the Dell Venue 10 7000 are great, unfortunately the price is a bit on the steep side. Starting at $499USD ($619CAD) for the 16GB version without a keyboard may not seem too bad given the size, but when you are hitting $679USD ($799CAD) for a 32GB model with the keyboard (which as I mentioned you definitely want with this tablet), the price is getting a bit steep. For the same price you can get a decently specced laptop, and many of these options are available on Dell’s website. While it is a great performance Android “laptop,” the price might just put it out of reach of most consumers.

Wrap Up

The Dell Venue 10 7000 is a great Android “laptop” solution, albeit a bit on the pricey side. Solid build, great battery life, and the optional keyboard make for a great 10.5″ Android tablet.

[rwp-review id=”0″]
*We were sent a demo unit of the Dell Venue 10 7000 for the purposes of this review.

Last Updated on November 27, 2018.

Previous

[DEAL] Amazon’s Nexus 6 Sale Drops Price To $349USD

Newest Chrome Update Promises Significant Memory And Speed Improvements

Next

Latest Articles

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap