A recently published research note published by Kaufman Brothers suggests that Dell is about to unveil its first smartphone. An announcement could come as early as the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February. Shaw Wu, the analyst who wrote the note, suggests that the launch is closer to reality than before and that Dell can no longer ignore this market as smartphones and other mobile and other increasingly powerful devices begin to eat into the PC market.
Wu suggests that despite intense competition, the smartphone market is still very young and that Dell could still easily compete against established players such as HTC, Nokia, Motorola, Hewlett-Packard and others. If Dell can generate even half the buzz that Palm managed with the Pre, it could well establish itself quickly as a strong competitor.
While there are no details about this latest rumoured Dell smartphone, research firm Strategy Analytics suggests that Dell could be partnering up with Microsoft for its first smartphone. Dell and Microsoft have a strong business relationship and Microsoft could use an ally to support its faltering Windows Mobile OS. But Dell could choose to go with Google Android in an effort to keep costs down.
Dell smartphone rumours have floated around for years (as far back as February 2007).