14 DAY TRIAL // Computer maker Dell is set to continue its journey in the mobile space, and it has recently announced plans to come to the market with handsets that will run under Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 operating system, and under Google's Android platform. Recently, leaked phones from the company have already unveiled a little on its plans for the smartphone area, yet, now, confirmation has also arrived.
“You're also starting to see us a bit on the device side,” CEO Michael Dell has recently said during an analyst meeting, eweek reports. He is referring to the launch of Dell Mini 3, which is based on Android. “We're very much working with Android and Windows Mobile 7, and we see those platforms as more attractive alternatives to other suggestions that you may have offered.”
Ever since last year, the company has been saying it has big plans for the mobile space, and it seems that it will maintain its focus on the area. Recently, a series of handsets from the company made it into the wild, including the Android 2.1-based Dell Thunder, the Android 2.2-powered Dell Flash and Smoke, and the Dell Lightning, which is said to be the company's first Windows Phone 7 device. While no official info on these handsets has emerged for the time being, Dell's words do show that it might not be too long before the company decides to announce them to the world.
At the same time, Dell seems to plan bringing to the market a series of tablets that should compete against Apple's iPad, or against future such devices from HP, which are expected to run under Palm's webOS. Dell sees these products as great devices for content consumption, which can create a new pattern when it comes to data demand. Moreover, it considers these tablets as complementary devices for existing ones, which could generate a new purchase pattern.
“One of the most immediate opportunities we see with all of the users coming online is the tremendous build-out of the data center to feed all of that data. So we're very focused on our data center custom-solutions business and providing the infrastructure to all of the content providers and telcos who are feeding on all that data,” Dell stated when asked about Apple's iPad. The company will have its first such device, the Dell Streak (Mini 5), available for purchase in June via O2 and AT&T.