Dell Venue Pro out does HTC, gets updated to 7.8

By George Ponder
last updated

Just when you thought the Dell Venue Pro was being relegated to being a Wikipedia page, it looks like the Windows Phone with a bottom slide keyboard is making one more swan song.  We received a tip that the unlocked, unbranded Dell Venue Pro was getting updated to Windows Phone 7.8 and sure enough, it is!  

It was a pleasant surprise seeing this old, no longer in production, Windows Phone getting the update.  The Dell Venue Pro joined the HTC Arrive and LG Quantum as the only Windows Phone with a slide out keyboard.  The Dell Venue Pro is a decent Windows Phone and it's a shame the other devices aren't getting the same level of attention.

Dell Venue Pro updated to Windows Phone 7.8

After dusting off our Dell Venue Pro and giving the battery a little juice, we connected to Zune and received the prompts that updates were available for the Venue Pro. The update cycle first installs a handful of minor files and then launches the Windows Phone 7.8 update.  All said and done, the Dell Venue Pro is running OS version 7.10.8858.136.

Once you've updated the Venue Pro, you'll need to go to the Marketplace app and install Refresh Marketplace (opens in new tab) to have access to the Windows Phone Store. This is a seperate issue and not related to Windows Phone 7.8 and for whatever reason we kept getting a download error halfway through the install though.  Hopefully this is a temporary issue with the Marketplace that will be fixed soon because without Refresh Marketplace, you won't have access to the Store.

Let us know in the comments if you've had any luck not only updating the Dell Venue Pro but also installing the Refresh Marketplace app.

Thanks, Aman, for the tip!

George Ponder
George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.

74 Comments
  • Wow...
  • But the focus is still sol?
  • Of course. It's on AT&T.
  • I used the wmpoweruser utility to upgrade my Focus and Titan. Only issue was they needed a factor reset before starting or it would hang on the install.  Both are working great with WP7.8 now.
  • Along with T-Mobile US' 710. :(
  • Why won't they just give me mine ffs (HTC radar c110e)
  • I updated my radar with the cable trick. And it works fine. But no Bluetooth Share as yet and no screenshot. :(
  • Bluetooth share is Nokia developed and Nokia only for WP 7.8
  • Does it matter what network and can you really dim the instructions down for me And also do I turn my wireless off of do I pull the power cable out the router Thanks
  • ive tried it and its saying it cant check for updates help me please :( 
     
  • 7.8 does not have screenshot features.
  • If Dell goes private, I want Microsoft to demand they make an updated Dell Venue Pro. DEMAND IT.
  • This⬆⬆Big time!
  • THIS!! Or Alienware phone.
  • Alienware Phone with glowing alien head on the back would be the nuts lol
  • you sure you want a 50mm thick phone with neon lights?
  • Too bad Dell is such a poorly run company.  Would like to have a modern one to consider.  Dell just seems to throw random stuff out there hoping something will stick.
  • Wow!My unlocked DVP keeps chugging along:)
  • Damn that's awesome. Gonna ask my cousin for my DVP back so I can do this maaan....
    Oh wait, my laptop died. Replaced it with a Surface RT which CANT run zune -___-
  • I'm actually a little curious if Jailbreak RT, and a little recoding, will let Zune run on WinRT, because that, and a few games (Warzone 2100 anyone?) would make it rock even more
  • Nope. RT is an Arm platform...not x86.
  • "The Dell Venue Pro joined the HTC Arrive and LG Quantum as the only Windows Phone with a slide out keyboard. The Dell Venue Pro is a decent Windows Phone and it's a shame the other devices aren't getting the same level of attention.".
    I believe they are getting attention. My LG Quantum got the update to 7.8 last week; so, the Dell handset is not the only phone with the full qwerty keyboard to move forward.
  • So your telling me the other HTC devices won't get WP7.8
  • Depends on your carrier. If TMoUS, then no, and unlocking the phone has been shown to be inefective. You'll have to find officially unsupported means to update your HTC. Refer to these articles and their volumous comments: http://www.wpcentral.com/tool-make-installing-windows-phone-78-update-easier http://www.wpcentral.com/forcing-windows-phone-78-update-camera-button-not-required-patience
  • HTC Arrive will be ignored by Sprint, just as its been during its entire life cycle.
  • Is the dvp gsm only??? I cant put on verizon :-(
  • Will it work on the AT&T locked Dvp?
  • If your question ever includes the phrase "AT&T" the answer is automatically NO.
  • Yet, they've been first in line with most WP updates...
  • If you own a Nokia.
  • The HTC radar in canada( wind) has 7.8
  • HTC give us screenshot and Bluetooth share already. 7.8 is not complete yet without this. This is off topic but what the hell.. :P
  • Screenshot isn't WP7.8 and Bluetooth Share is only a Nokia phone Exclusive app
  • So no Bluetooth share for the rest? Wow 7.8 was useless afterall.. >.<
  • I still think it was the best WP7 device design wise. Dell did it all wrong as it should have been in t- mo store..also why I would never buy another HTC device they show no support ever
  • OMG!!!
  • Meh... with zero hope and 100% cynism, I decded screw it and used the Seventy-Eighter tool last Friday to update my old DVP (which worked extremely well... I also notced that Seventy-Eighter had to 'download' and install like 5 or 6 packages altogether... did that mean my DVP was 6 updates behind???! F*** YOU DELL!).
    NOt sure about Market errors... I was perusing and installing apps on my DVP after forcing the updates.
    I don't have cellular, but I figure it could be nice as a kind of internet-appliance.  I threw a buttload of apps on the home and made them all small-tiles.  Its looks pretty cool.  lol.
    Oh, and I had a day one DVP, Tmobile version that only works w/ Tmo 3G.  I've since unlocked it... but it was only EDGE on AT&T.  Anyway... the point is... if the above article says unlocked and unbranded, I don't even know if that means this version of the DVP would be getting an update!!!  So I'm glad I used the hack tool... which, again, I can't stress enough was so super easy to use.
  • Yeah, at least your phone eventually got the update, I'm still pissed a bit that TMo said its not updating to 7.8, so I had to use Seven-Eighter on my Nokia L710, which like you said, worked like a charm.
    Glad that the program worked or I have no idea what I would have done, (also did it for my brother's HTC HD7, which also worked well).
  • I used the tool to update my T-Mobile US Lumia 710 (it took about 3 updates before 7.8) and it works perfectly, if you ignore the lack of using Bing Wallpapers, switching default search providers for IE9, and the ability to use Bluetooth Share and Ringtone Maker, since the tool doesn't include the updated Nokia firmware.
     
    Ugh, so much for more functionality if the only changes are aesthetic.
  • I forced the update the day it came out without any issues. I also didn't need to do anything to the Marketplace, it works fine
  • I love this phone I actually regret not giving up my palm pre earlier and getting it when it was on sale for $50 but I was unsure about going to ATT or Tmobile
  • if only someone at Dell or MS had fixed the compass driver issue the DVP would be almost bug free now.
  • I have force update my DVP to WP7.8, but I do not required to install Refresh Marketplace.
    Apprearancely, app "Refresh Marketplace" has been removed and no longer available. 
    P.S. I can access MarketPlace with no problem.
  • Why the HTC knocking? My unlocked HD7 got updated to 7.8 two days ago.
  • Your phone's unlocked but what network is your HD7 connected to please?
    I recently unlocked my HD7 but (for now) I'm still using O2.
    I haven't been able to trick Windows Phone Connector to upgrade mine... yet.
  • Your phone is carrier branded, and so you're still at the mercy of the carrier for your update.
  • Thanks for the info.
  • I'm in the UK, incidentaly.
  • Did the seveneighter tool this last weekend on our 2 DVPs on Tmo. Worked excellent. Went through about 5 upgrades though.
    Now I've noticed a problem with Bluetooth audio. I no longer can advance to the next song in the car using the steering wheel control. This is a 2013 vehicle using the Microsoft UVO system. All other functions work except that now. If you use BTA in your car see if you are experiencing any issues.
    UPDATE- Updated the Microsoft UVO system and everything is working now.
  • the HTC hub for windows phone 7.8 is just gray im guessing no live tile support for a while
  • The normal tile works, but just not when you change its size
     
    EDIT: Once gray, re-open, or re-pin to your start screen should fix.
     
    If you add the location you want to the list? When you pin that, you can resize between small and medium tiles... Not a great solution though.
  • Any news when Titan II will get the 7.8 update?
  • Im not holding my breath and just used the seven-eighter tool, worked great and no issues or loss of data whatsoever
  • My dvp went off during the third installation using the seven-eighter tool and I have tried all day but no success in bringing it back to life. It simply won't power on. In any case I was able to successfully update my HD7 and HTC Radar with the Seven-Eighter last Friday and I would say that the issue with the the DVP might just be a mere hard luck.
  • Lucky! stupid HTC, and the picture of the DVP makes it look so nice, i want one now!
  • HTC 7 Pro had slide out keyboard too. It was basically the same thing as the arrive, though.
  • Now if only they would let me update my Lumia 900 that I bought on day 1.
  • Amd not for HTC HD7? It's a shame.
  • I have done a couple of days ago the forced upgrade (thanks to the tip from wpcentral.com) to two Dell Venue Pro phones and I can say that this upgrade made this device sexy again. Not to mention that the battery life improved amazingly. We were charging the phones at least once a day and now the battery shows 30-35% at the end of the day without any charging.
    I didn't have issues with the Marketplace and for this time i gave up the idea of upgrading to Lumia 920. Me and my better half are in love with the sliding keyboard on this business phone and we'll keep them for some more time now.
  • I think pretty much MOST of the unlocked, unbranded devices are getting 7.8, just in a staggered release. It would seem its quite possibly Microsoft that is pushing the update, and not Dell.
     
    The only phone to not get the update is a carrier branded device... Which I manually updated using cab sender.
  • As the first reader put it: WOW.
    I totally gave up on the hope the DVP (the device that comes the closest to be the whole package) will ever get the update --due to its orphan condition (Dell, you missed such an opportunity).
    I just cancelled dinner plans with my girl to do this update --of course she thinks I was caught up at work.
    Mr.Microsoft, your bonus went up (I'm pretty sure that Dell had CERO to do with this)
  • Huh. To bad the plug broke on mine.
  • I think the DVP was the rarest of all Windows Phones.
  • what Marvin implied I didn't know that a mom can get paid $7013 in four weeks on the computer. did you read this website... http://www.wow83.com
  • I updated my DVP today and had two people in a coffee shop gawk and ask me what device I was using. Two years on and the stylish DVP still turns heads!
    I think I'm going to hold off buying a WP8 device a while longer - the refreshed homescreen, the FM radio, the portrait sliding keyboard and the overall sleek look of the DVP has yet to be topped by an device I've seen.
  • had already done the update on day 1 but what i dont understand is the marketplace refresh...i dint have any problems accesssing the marketplace at all...and i tried opening the link in the article and it doesnt work....
  • Good to hear that. However i updated my DVP to 7.8 three days ago using cab sender. I hope this is not the final update and they have left room for update (7.9) in the near future. 
     
     
  • There won't be a 7.9. 7.8 is the final WP7 update.
  • http://www.knowyourmobile.in/news/1686364/windows_phone_78_coming_soon_w...
    I am praying for 7.9 with Bluetooth file transfer & screen shot features. 
     
  • I didnt get my update when I connect it to zune. Restored the phone to factory settings and it showed up.
    ( Took a huge risk. But it was worth it :D )
  • I might have to end up doing that. I'll wait some more because I'd rather not have to reinstall all of my apps.
  • Download seveneighter tool or you can update using cab sender from a windows 7 PC. I updated using cab sender. It'll ask you to create a backup by pressing "B" so you dont need to worry, but it does not create a backup of pictures & music files. I dont know if seveneighter creates a backup. 
     
  • I have an unlocked Dell Venue Pro (the SIM card version) that was intended to run on Tmobile in the U.S.  For some reason, (as of Feb 10th) the update to 7.8 is STILL not available and the so-called method for "forcing it" does not work for me.  I may use the CAB method eventually if MS does not correct this issue but I would rather not risk damaging the phone.   Does anyone know what is going on, what the delay is about?  Why is the update only available for some Dell Venues and not others?  I cannot believe that the there is that much difference in the models that would warrant such a long delay in making 7.8 available for everyone.
  • Can you update me with the proper mentioned STEPS to update DVP W7.5 to W7.8 ?