Dell to debut own smartphone

Computer manufacturer Dell is rumored to be mulling over a new smartphone that is expected to rival Apple’s iPhone. According to financial daily reports, Dell’s engineers have been working on the phone for the past one year or so.

It is being rumored that Dell has already built prototypes based on Google Inc’s Android operating system and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software. While one of the prototypes has a touch screen akin to the iPhone and no physical keyboard, another model is said to be a slider-style device that comes with a keypad that slides out from beneath the screen.

Though the smatphone prototypes are ready, it is being reported that Dell hasn’t yet finalized release dates. Industry analysts say that the Dell phones might hit the market by mid-February 2009. The company might even flash the device at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009 event to be held in Barcelona. Dell is expected to stand out in an already crowded market in its effort to come out trumps. Analysts said that it would be good if the company uses its own operating system because most of the other players use the same software, including Windows Mobile, Symbian, or Google Android.

With the smartphones space already showing a much advanced trend worldwide, Dell’s innovation might be successful in making commendable inroads into the arena. It is not without competition, though. Dell faces a formidable opponent in the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G has been successful in selling more than 4.3 million units in the United States. Dell will have competition from Hewlett-Packard too, which is selling phones in Europe with an automatic backup feature. To add to the competition, another PC maker Acer and Lenovo would make their presence felt in the smartphone marketplace. The iPhone and BlackBerry control 70 per cent of the US market.

It is quite likely that the Dell smartphone rumors are true – Dell has not bothered to confirm or deny them so far.