The usually reliable Wall Street Journal claims that Dell, the world’s no. 2 computer maker, will enter the smartphone market in an effort to make up for the lost income due to the economic downturn. They say the Texas company is planning on releasing several models, pitching them against RIM’s and Apple’s phones.
The phones could come as early as February this year, and would be powered by either Windows Mobile or Google’s Android. They will strictly be smartphones, so no feature phones or other cheaper models, and one is supposed to have a touchscreen to compete with Apple’s iPhone. The WSJ claims Dell has been developing prototypes for a year now.
As some of you might remember, Dell does have experience in a field related to smartphones: the company had a line of PDAs running Windows Mobile, the Axim line. These PDAs were sold in various configurations between 2002 and 2007, with the last and most powerful model sporting a ridiculously powerful Intel XScale 624Mhz processor, 256MB flash ROM, and a VGA display. These PDAs even had a VGA out so they could power normal computer displays.
The Dell Axim x51v.
WSJ does include a little disclaimer stating that Dell may still abandon the idea.
AHHH HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!
EDIT: HHHHAAAAAAAAAA HAHAHAH
Edited 2009-01-30 17:00 UTC
Does Dell actually have any R&D? And I mean more than just “engineers” that choose/design a PC case. I really don’t see them doing anything but repackaging/branding an existing solution that will likely run Windows Mobile or whatever.
I’m pretty sure their “iPod killer” was simply going to be a rebranded Zune until they saw how poorly it was doing and decided never to release it.
Edited 2009-01-30 17:23 UTC
Ahem, Dell *did* release it’s MP3 player, several models infact before they did kill it off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Digital_Jukebox“>Read
Enough said…
That’s what I was thinking too. What’s Dell going to do, rebrand an HTC or LG phone; Android, Windows Mobile? Anyway, the smartphone market is quickly coming down to a select few in Hardware & Software.
Hardware:
Apple
HTC
RIM
Software:
Android
BlackBerry OS (if that’s the name)
OS X iPhone
Windows Mobile
No, I haven’t forgot Nokia or Symbian OS, but in the next 5 years I picture Symbian OS being nearly non-existant as a smartphone platform; being relegated to smaller, less functional, standard cell phones — if those still exist in 5 years.
Apple spends about $1 billion, but that includes OSX presumably. Dell spends about $600m, for which they do not have to develop an OS.
We can’t drill down into it properly of course. But you have to consider that the billion has to support music, phones, OS and hardware. The 600 only goes on hardware. I suspect both are doing equally much badge engineering when it comes to computers and hardware. The OEMs do most of the R&D now.
I suspect Dell believes they have reached the point of being a household name similar to “Apple” or “Sony” … or even “Microsoft”…
So, I suspect it’s not about how their devices are designed, or what OS they run – but rather that it matches other devices owned by the consumer already.
I personally think they’re a bit full of themselves
edit: stupid typo.
Edited 2009-01-30 19:18 UTC
Dell is at least a year and a half late: http://www.osnews.com/permalink?229403
A friend for my dell digital jukebox, and axim to play with. The dominated those markets so very well, I can’t imagine why they would succeed at a similar level here.
Those were the finest Dell products in that category in the Dell catalogue.
Personally, I can’t imagine Michael Dell and company chasing another such product given their history but I suppose they need something to shove in Apple’s face.