14 DAY TRIAL // Dell was rumored a while ago to be planning on entering the mobile phone market this year with its own handset. Recent news reports point towards the fact that the computer maker could unveil its device at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.
It seems that Dell has had a few people working on the development of mobile phones for the past year or so, namely a company's team of engineers in Chicago. According to the news, sources close to the company have stated that the group has produced phone prototypes that run under Google's Android operating system and Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform.
It seems that Dell has built a smartphone model that features a touch screen and no keyboard, the way Apple's iPhone does, as well as a version that includes a sliding keyboard. The company is also reported to have met with suppliers of phone components, phone software companies, as well as with Asian phone manufacturers.
On the other hand, the computer maker seems to deny these rumors. According to a Dell spokesman, the company hasn't presented any such plans, stating that “we haven't committed to anything.” Even so, some suggest that PC vendors could be eyeing the smartphone area, given the fact that PC shipments have been going down dramatically during the last quarter and are expected to go even lower.
The smartphone segment of the market remained strong amid the worldwide economic downturn, although shipments have diminished here as well. The market has seen until recently a growth of about 50 percent, while now the rate is in the 10-15 percent area. According to Jeff Kagan, a wireless and telecom industry analyst, the market remains healthy even so.
“So will Dell devices hit a home run or will they just hit a single? That is the big question,” he said. “We won't know until we know more about it. So much depends on the device.” The company has left the handheld area over a year and a half ago, but it seems it plans on returning, mainly after the acquisition of the software company Zing Systems in August.