Introduction

An Android-powered tablet with the heart of a laptop

The Dell Venue 10 7000 Series tablet features a stunning 10.5" OLED screen and is designed to mate perfectly with the optional keyboard. So how does it perform as both a laptop and a tablet? Read on for the full review!

To begin with I will simply say the keyboard should not be an optional accessory. There, I've said it. As I used the Venue 10 7000, which arrived bundled with the keyboard, I was instantly excited about this design. The Venue 10 is a device that is as remarkable for its incredible screen as much as any other feature, but once coupled with the magnetically attached keyboard becomes something more – and quite different than existing implementations of the transforming tablet. More than a simple accessory the keyboard felt like it was really a part of the device when connected, and made it feel like a real laptop.

I'm getting way ahead of myself here so let's go back to the beginning, and back to a world where one might consider purchasing this tablet by itself. At $499 for the 16GB model you might reasonably ask how it compares to the identically-priced Apple iPad Air 2. Well, most of the comparison is going to be software/app related as the Venue 10 7000 is running Android 5.1 Lollipop, and of course the iPad runs iOS. The biggest difference between these tablets (besides the keyboard integration) becomes the 10.5-inch, 2560×1600 OLED screen, and oh what a screen it is!

The Dell Venue 10 features a display so bright, so rich, so… OLED, that it could only have been made from that technology. Colors pop and blacks are infinitely black. It's an absolutely stunning display, and while I suspect the color is not as accurate as an iPad's well-calibrated IPS display (more on this later), I didn't care when I was using it. You need to see one of these Venue 10 displays in person to decide if you prefer the vivid, highly saturated colors and seemingly infinite contrast.

Before going further, let's check out the full specs which are, not surprisingly, very similar to those of the Venue 8 7000:

  Dell Venue 10 7000 (Model 7040)
Processor Intel Atom Z3580 Quad-Core 2.33 GHz
Graphics PowerVR G6430
Memory 2GB LPDDR3-1600
Screen 2560×1600 OLED 10.5-in (288 ppi)
Storage 16GB or 32GB eMMC
MicroSD Slot (up to 512GB)
Camera 8MP Rear + Dual 720p Depth
2MP Front
Wireless Intel 7260 802.11ac 1×1 Dual Band
Bluetooth 4.0
Connection USB 2.0 (power and data)
Headphone jack
Battery 26.6 Whr
7000 mAh
Dimensions 243.36mm x 195.43mm x 6.2mm
9.58" x 7.69" x 0.24"
597g (1lb 5.1oz)
OS Android 5.0.1 (5.1 after OTA update)
Price $499 MSRP (16GB) $549 MSRP (32GB)

Our thanks to Dell for providing the Venue 10 7000 for our review!

First Impressions

We've seen the screen, but how does the rest of the tablet look? The industrial design is very polished with excellent fit and finish throughout, and the aluminum and glass construction provides a solid, if a slightly hefty, feel. 

With the keyboard attached this is still a slim device from the front at about 1/2" thick (0.24" without keyboard). Around back we see the approx. 3/4" round design with speakers and keyboard mounts, and this reaches 1" thick with the keyboard in place.

The view from the side shows just how much thicker the back of the tablet is, and we also get a look at I/O with the Venue 10 7000. On this first side we have a standard micro USB port and a 3.5mm combo headphone/mic port.

And on the other side we have the volume and sleep/wake buttons and a micro SD card slot (via removable tray that looks like a SIM card slot).

The body of the Venue 10 7000 looks very good and has a nice matte finish. It was still a fingerprint magnet, however.

You might notice the multiple cameras on the back, as the Venue 10 7000 features an integrated Intel RealSense Depth Camera, a technology that allows for "measurement, refocus, and selective filters with a touch of a finger".

The screen is well protected with Gorilla Glass 3, but is quite glossy

Next we'll take a closer look at the keyboard, and see how the well the Venue 10 7000 works as both a laptop and a tablet.

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