Dell's Aero Android phone has been a long time coming -- but unfortunately for the company, the longer it has waited to release the device, the less appealing it has become. Originally rumored for release some time in the second quarter of this year, the Aero is available today for $99.99 on AT&T with a two-year contract.
It's a good thing the phone is retailing at such a low price, because there's certainly not much inside it to get excited about. It sports a 3.5-inch screen, creaky 624Mhz processor, and 5-megapixel camera. Those specifications alone could make a decent phone, honestly (it's technically a step above the iPhone 3G S). But for some reason, Dell has equipped it with Android 1.5 -- a now-ancient version of the operating system that's slower and buggier than more recent versions.
At least it's "one of the lightest Android smartphones in the U.S.", according to Dell.
With its high-end Thunder Android smartphone coming out some time in the next few months, Dell probably figured that it needed a cheaper entry-level Android device. But given what we know now, there's very little reason for anyone to opt for an Aero -- particularly when you can get better Android phones between $100 and $150, on a better carrier like Verizon.
If anything, the release of the Aero may work against Dell by promoting the "cheap and undesirable" image that plagued its other consumer devices like the Dell DJ. At a time when Dell should be convincing consumers that it can release desirable high-end Android and Windows Phone 7 devices, having a slow and unappealing phone on the market is the last thing the company needs.