Dell oPhone set to launch in early 2010

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 8 Oct 2009 at 07:38

Dell will launch a new Android smartphone in the west at the beginning of next year, according to company insiders.

The handest - dubbed the oPhone - is already on sale in China. A report in the Wall Street Journal claims the handset is now due for launch in the US at the beginning of next year, potentially paving the way for a European launch later in 2010.

Dell is officially remaining tight-lipped on the launch. "We are deeply engaged with our operator partners around the world to deliver mobile-broadband enabled computing devices," a company spokesman told Reuters.

"We haven't announced anything around voice or Android although we continue to explore opportunities in those areas with operators around the world."

Dell hasn't sold a smartphone device since 2007, when it finally killed off its Axim range of Windows Mobile handhelds. The move to Google's Android is yet another blow for Microsoft, which earlier this week launched the disappointing Windows Mobile 6.5.

However, Dell will face stiff competition in an increasingly fierce smartphone market. The past few weeks alone have seen the iPhone move on to two more British networks, Intel push its Moblin OS towards smartphones, and the UK launch of the Palm Pre.

Analysts have questioned whether Dell has the ability to slog it out in the smartphone market, especially given its past failure. However, another big name Android customer is being heralded as good news for Google. "The goal here of Google is to make the Android operating system a real alternative to that of Apple, Research In Motion's Blackberry and Palm," C.L. King and Associates analyst, Lawrence Harris, told Reuters.