According to online retailer Expansys, the Windows Phone 7 (WP7)-based Dell Venue Pro handset will likely become available in the UK from February 2. The SIM-free business slider smartphone will retail for £440, including VAT and delivery.

The forthcoming Dell Venue Pro essentially marks Dell’s foray into the WP7 arena, which, as per a recent research from analyst Ovum, will probably be the fastest-growing platform in 2011 largely because of its “unique and very desirable take on the smartphone user interface.”

The key features of the Venue Pro include a large 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED screen covered with Corning’s Gorilla glass; 1GHz Qualcomm 8250 SnapDragon processor; and a full slider QWERTY keyboard.

In addition, the new Dell WP7 handset will also boast a 5-megapixel camera with AF and flash; 8GB on-board memory; 512MB RAM; and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Venue Pro will reportedly play nice with Xbox Live and Zune; as well as feature Microsoft Office applications right out of the box; thus making it a compelling device for customers who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get on board with Dell and Microsoft’s new mobile operating system.

The launch of the Venue Pro in the UK comes after a few launch delays, including those resulting from battery and Wi-Fi issues that came to the fore towards the end of last year.