Dell gets into smartphones

AFTER MONTHS of speculation, Dell has finally announced its plans to enter the smartphone market, starting in China and Brazil.

The box maker has inked deals with China Mobile and Claro to bring its Android based Dell Mini 3 Smart Phone to market.

"Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell's consumer product evolution over the past two years," said Ron Garriques, president of the Global Consumer Group at Dell.

"We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want."

Dell's willingness to place nice with China's frequently unique and proprietary communications standards has made it a popular brand in the country.

Details on the Mini 3's specifications are still thin on the ground, but we do know it features a 3.5-inch touchscreen and certainly in China it will run the operator's Android-based Open Mobile System, dubbed OPhone. Much like the Iphone, the Dell Mini 3 smartphone won't support WiFi in China when it launches, but this may change in time.

"This signals an important milestone in the long term partnership between China Mobile and Dell," said a spokesperson for China Mobile.

"We are excited for Dell to be among the first manufacturers to introduce new technology based on the OPhone platform."

The Dell Mini 3 is expected to arrive in China later this month and in Brazil by the end of the year. µ