Need a little help. Venue Pro or Focus Flash?

[ashykat]

Hey everyone,

I'm on AT&T and am going to be picking up a Windows Phone in the very near future. Because of the type of plan I'm on with AT&T, upgrade pricing is not an option, so I'm going contract free here. I'm between the Dell Venue Pro, which is $299 from Dell's website, and the Samsung Focus Flash, which I can get for $339 from Amazon.

Both seem great, and run Mango of course. The FFC is not a huge deal to me. I love the physical qwerty of the DVP as well as the industrial design. It's not a thin phone, but it has it's own style. It wants you to look at it. I love the curved gorilla glass and the textured battery door. I'm a little concerned because I've heard some people had some issues with it, but it's now back on Dell's website which makes me feel a little bit better. The Focus Flash seems like a great little phone, but it's obviously made to be unassuming and the "entry level" phone next to the Focus S. The 3.7 inch screen isn't bad, but I'd prefer the 4.1 inch of the DVP. I like that the Focus is a bit thinner, not to mention that it's second gen hardware with a bumped processor. The camera's seem to be of similar quality. I'm leaning toward the DVP at the moment because of it's style, but I don't like investing in a phone that's been out so long. The price is right of either one, which is what makes this decision even harder. Anyone have any hands on time with both of these phones and can offer any advice here? It's hard to actually test the DVP out since it's only available directly from Dell.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[wolf1891]

between those two, I'd go with the DVP (however, do NOT expect anything too impressive from the camera so, if that really matters to you then perhaps the Focus Flash MIGHT be the better bet). I've had my DVP now for about 7 months and I am even happier with it now than I was when I first got it (and I was pretty darned pleased back then too).

If there is a Microsoft Store anywhere in your area that would be the place to get your hands on a DVP and give it a try. It's a nice solid feeling phone with good looks and a very nice screen. There were some firmware issues early on that were quite a problem for some owners (never had any real issues with mine) but, those have been resolved and now with the Mango update this phone just keeps getting better.

 

[cckgz4]

Personally I'd go for the flash

 

[jdevenberg]

I'd go for the Flash simply because all the problems the Venue Pro has had. I almost bought a Venue pro cause it was the phone I would rather have, but reliability won out and I got the HD7

 

[theefman]

The DVP problems have been resolved, it works very well and has done since the firmware fix was released so getting a working phone is not a problem. Focus Flash though has a newer GPU/CPU combo, better camera & FFC, smaller screen and storage. Personally been using a DVP since Dec 2010 and would not swap to the Flash despite the newer hardware.

 

[Wiccan Lagar]

The DVP has no issues for me but I will have to agree that the camera is pretty much an embarrassment. I have resorted to leaning up against things and holding my breath to reduce movement so I can take a semi clear picture. And low light photos are horrible. But in terms of weight and feel, it feels premium. Solid build that feels good in hand. The keyboard works real well, with all keystrokes feeling deliberate and the click assuring. A pleasure to type on.

Sent from my Venue Pro using Board Express

 

[ashykat]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm still on the fence but now leaning toward the Focus Flash. I watched a comparison between the HTC Titan and Samsung Omnia 7 and the FPS was a lot better on the Titan. I assume since they have very similar CPU/GPU's that the Focus Flash will probably perform more closely to the Titan with the DVP more closely to the Omnia. I still haven't made my mind up but at least I have some stuff to go off of now.

 

[ashykat]

Mind is made up. I went by AT&T tonight and played with the Flash. What a cool little phone! The screen is plenty big for me, and it feels sturdy unlike a lot of samsung phones I've handled in the past. The screen is bright and clear with deep blacks, and everything is very zippy. I'm pretty excited about it now!

 

[wolf1891]

Mind is made up. I went by AT&T tonight and played with the Flash. What a cool little phone! The screen is plenty big for me, and it feels sturdy unlike a lot of samsung phones I've handled in the past. The screen is bright and clear with deep blacks, and everything is very zippy. I'm pretty excited about it now!

sounds like you made the right choice for you. enjoy!!!

 

[p.jgordon]

Mind is made up. I went by AT&T tonight and played with the Flash. What a cool little phone! The screen is plenty big for me, and it feels sturdy unlike a lot of samsung phones I've handled in the past. The screen is bright and clear with deep blacks, and everything is very zippy. I'm pretty excited about it now!

Thats exactly how I feel about it =)

Make sure you play around with the camera tho, I have to agree that its not the greatest in the world but it gets the job done.

It's very unassuming thats for sure but as soon as those shiny live tiles on that sAMOLED screen come alive, its like WOW!!

 

[ashykat]

Oh and I almost forgot to mention one of my favorite things about it, a physical start button! I know it seems like a small thing to many people but I like being able to press it to wake the phone up rather than using the sleep/wake button. It's especially helpful in the car.

 

[baseballbert]

I like that too, old iPhone habit. There is just something about this phone that I like better than the S. Felt better in the hand.

Mangos taste better than apples!

 

[ashykat]

I like that too, old iPhone habit. There is just something about this phone that I like better than the S. Felt better in the hand.

I agree it felt better in hand, almost sturdier. I also am not a huge fan of the design of the S, it's too "generic" looking for me, not that the Flash has any huge design cues, but it seems a little more distinct than the S in my opinion. The bigger screen entices me from the S, but since I'm paying full retail the 3.7 inch screen will suit me just fine I think.