The Dell Venue Pro hasn’t had the greatest of starts in the smartphone world and since being officially announced, it has faced constant delays. Last month we were told we’d finally be seeing one of the first Windows Phone 7 QWERTY sliders hit the shops in January but online UK retailer Clove has revealed that this date has now been put back to mid Feb.

The site blames Microsoft for the delay stating, “At the moment it looks like the delay is being caused by a Microsoft issue with the MMS settings” but the manufacturer is yet to make an official comment on whether this is actually the case.

It’s still disappointing news for those waiting for the Venue Pro in the UK especially since it was announced alongside the rest of the Windows Phone 7 line up in October 2010. However, we are still without a QWERTY slider handset running the OS over here with both the HTC Pro and LG Optimus 7Q being kept in the tight arms of their manufacturers.

There has been no elaboration on the mid Feb release date for the Dell Venue Pro at the moment but judging by the string of delays it has experienced so far, we’re taking this latest news with a pinch of salt until we know more.