Dell confirms entry into smartphone market

Dell has confirmed longstanding rumours that it is getting into the smartphone market.

The company has said that it will be launching its Mini 3 handset in China and Brazil, two of the fastest growing markets for handsets. The company did not reveal the launch date or the specifications of the handset but it is likely to be an entry-level platform using Intel’s hardware.

“Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years,” said Ron Garriques, president of Dell Global Consumer Group.

“We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want.“

In China the company has signed a deal with China Mobile and with Claro in Brazil.

“As a leading innovation company in Brazil, Claro is proud of being the first wireless carrier in the world offering the 3G version of Dell’s smart phone. This confirms the Brazilian market strength and Claro as a leading actor in introducing new technology products and services to the country”, said João Cox, president for Claro.

Dell’s move lets it build sales without entering the highly competitive US and European markets. Operators there were apparently unimpressed with Dell’s offering earlier in the year.

“This is an odd decision because superficially the business case is dubious; how can a company with limited mobile device experience hope to make an impression on a handset market which is owned by a few megavendors each of whom ships tens to hundreds of millions of units a year,” said Nick Jones, vice president in Gartner Research.

“The conspiracy theorists however have an explanation. I’ve seen some suggest that this isn’t about Dell but about Intel. Intel needs line up some vendors to use the new Medfield and Moorestown chips in smartphones. They don’t have much leverage with big mobile vendors like Nokia and Samsung, but they do have a lot of leverage with PC vendors like Dell.”