We had reported the Dell Venue Pro WiFi bug this morning on Uberphones and Ubergizmo that had prevented a number of Windows Phone 7 smartphones from connecting to a secure WiFi hotspot. That problem, which was identified on BGR as being affected by the HTC HD7 and the Dell Venue Pro, both on T-Mobile USA, hasn’t been reported by any other Windows Phone 7 users internationally or those sold through AT&T in the U.S. We’re not entirely sure what the problem is, and neither HTC, Dell, nor Microsoft has issued a statement to the cause of the problem at this time, but a report from the XDA-Developers community may have pinned down the cause of the issue to engineering samples being mistakenly shipped to Microsoft stores and being sold at retail to customers. The Dell Venue Pro isn’t expected to go on sale through Dell’s website until November 15th, though Microsoft did score an exclusive short period to have the device available for sale on launch on November 8th. It’s unclear if all or only a few of those devices that are appearing on launch date at Microsoft retail locations are engineering samples, but a user on XDA-Developer notes:
So I went to the Microsoft store here in Denver CO. They told me that Dell accidentally sent engineering models to them and thats why they were having issues with the wifi. Apparently this is a known issue with the Microsoft stores.
That user noted that the store did provide good service by swapping his Dell Venue Pro for an HTC HD7 and the WiFi connectivity issue had went away. The problem with the Venue Pro seems to be affect early engineering samples.
As to the WiFi problems being reported for the HTC HD7, we’re still unsure about what’s the root cause there, but at least for now, if you’re an owner of the Dell Venue Pro, be sure to check and see if your device says “engineering sample.” If it does, check to see if you can connect to a secure WiFi location, and if not, you may have to head back to your Microsoft retail store or contact Dell for an exchange.
