Smart phones by Dell – analysts
Dell, the world's No 2 PC brand, plans to enter the lucrative but crowded smartphone market by year-end with an initial rollout in the China as it looks for new revenue sources, two analysts said on Tuesday.
Dell is reportedly to offer two models in cooperation with China Mobile. The two models, which are currently going through tests, will be based on the Chinese carrier's operating system, known as Open Mobile System (OMS).
Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note released to clients last month that Dell was working with its original design manufacturing partners and a third-party software company, but did not identify either party.
"Our industry checks indicate that Dell, barring any further delays, is likely to launch its first Android smartphone in 2Q09," Goldman wrote in its report. Android is Google's open-source operating system used in mobile phones.
Dell's move comes as many of its peers, including Acer and Asustek, enter the increasingly competitive smartphone market, going head to head with major brands such as Apple, Nokia, HTC and Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry.
Smartphones are feature-packed phones that combine many computer functions with traditional handsets in what some are calling a convergence between the two products.
