14 DAY TRIAL // Dell has recently announced that it has discontinued its Axim Pocket PC line as well as the fact that it's not interested in releasing other handsets anytime soon. Officially, Dell gave up selling the Axim X51 products starting April the 5th.
While the Axim line still shows up on Dell's line, a spokesperson has mentioned that only add-on products were available for sale. According to Jack Gold, an analyst at J.Gold Associates, the Axim decision had been predicted for quite some time, with Dell being expected to introduce a smartphone later this year.
While it is clear now that Motorola is not buying Palm, and news on Nokia acquiring the company have not showed up in a long time, Dell could be a possible buyer. But then again, the fact that the two phone manufacturing companies have apparently backed out doesn't mean that Dell would be interested in Palm. According to Gold : "Dell has the money to buy Palm, and it's clear now that Motorola is not buying Palm." The company has of course declined to discuss any rumors that have surfaced regarding its acquisition of Palm or future smartphone launch.
Bottom line is that smartphones are becoming quite popular on the market now, as opposed to Pocket PCs that don't stir as much interest in the eyes of potential customers. If Dell where to carry on in the mobile handheld business, the acquisition of Palm, a company that had a lot of experience in developing handhelds, could prove to be quite a smart choice.
Palm already has a line of smartphones dedicated to business users running both Windows Mobile and Palm OS, offering the customers the choice between the two operating systems when looking for a new device. While Dell's acquisition of Palm is in fact possible, there is no way to tell for sure until some official announcement is made.