Is Dell readying a new mobile device?

There appears to be some speculation floating around that Dell is about to cannonball itself into the mobile pool, big time. According to whispered rumors from dark hallways (AKA Forbes), the company is putting together a smartphone / multimedia device which might be rearing its head sometime early in 2008. The device -- being developed with the help of Taiwanese company Quanta -- will sport video and audio playback, as well as internet functionality. The rumors are strengthened by the company's addition of former Motorola cell phone executive vice president Ron Garriques, and with the dropping of its PDA and DAP products, there's certainly a gaping void left open for a new device. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that Dell's recent acquisition of Zing and trademarking of the "Zingspot" moniker suggests the company is getting into content distribution -- perfect for a shiny new convergence device. Only time will tell if the PC powerhouse can get into the very-crowded smartphone game, too.

[Via InformationWeek]

[Vega @ Dec 10th 2007 9:57AM]

Dell is clearly trying to repeat the amazing success they had with their "Dell DJ" strategy. In that respect, hiring a guy from Motorola is very consistent. I think a bug success is inevitable.

...Making fun of those guys is just too easy...

[Constable Odo @ Dec 10th 2007 10:12AM]

Monkey see, monkey do, monkey fails miserably. Michael Dell must want to take a sip of spit-up Kool-Aid.

Excuse me, but why after all these years does Dell need to go into the mobile handset business? Oh that's right, if Apple can do it, any PC manufacturer can. Pick a smartphone, any smartphone and put your company's name on it. Make sure it has a touchscreen, WiFi, 3G, 2MP camera, and GPS. As long as you follow that formula, it'll be an instant success.

Why doesn't Dell go into car manufacturing? After years of making plain-gray PCs surely they can design a cheap, basic car that millions of third-worlders would enjoy.

[MatthewJ @ Dec 10th 2007 11:32AM]

I used a Dell Axim 51V last year for a while when I was working for a company, and it was an excellent little PDA. If there had been one available with phone features built in, I would buy one straight away, as at least they made the sensible decision not to try and cram some rubbish camera-phone camera into it. Everything else about it was perfect though.

[inspector @ Dec 29th 2007 12:18AM]

Ah....I knew it. I know they have the resources to really rip apart the market if they come out with a solid/no contract product. They can tap/attract the part of the market that has been holding off because they don't want to sign up for a contract.

[eric cumbee @ Dec 10th 2007 10:12AM]

I had a dell DJ it was a great mp3 player.

[Vega @ Dec 10th 2007 10:17AM]

...that didn't sell.

[Lein @ Dec 10th 2007 10:14AM]

Oh please god be an Axim x51v with an EV-DO radio.

Please, please, please.

[JohnTitor @ Dec 10th 2007 12:07PM]

I still got my X50v
it was a great value, got really disappointed when they dropped Axim

[StrangeBum @ Dec 10th 2007 10:27AM]

I also had a Dell DJ a Gen.1 20gig and loved it while it worked. After a few years it started getting a little buggy, but a quick firmware update fixed the entire problem. But sadly, it recently died on me. I think something happened to the HDD. But I have a spare Zen that I'm using now and will get a Zune here shortly.

But Dell, really shouldn't delve into this realm. I like their products for the most part, but making a mobile handset just does not seem like a smart idea on their part. It will sadly go the way of their PDAs and DAPs.

[euclid @ Dec 10th 2007 10:37AM]

Big - Check
Hideous - Check
Slow - Check
Can cause blunt force trauma - Check.

[ark_v2 @ Dec 10th 2007 12:20PM]

I really don't think they'll go back there. Have you seen the new XPS's? They are way too nice and are selling like hot bread.

[js @ Dec 10th 2007 11:15AM]

iPhone clone

[Prokanda @ Dec 10th 2007 12:03PM]

They haven't even proved that this will happen yet. No pictures, no specs, nothing etched in stone.

I hope your comment was sarcasm... if so, then good one... if not, then whoa.

[bob e @ Dec 10th 2007 11:34AM]

Now that they are moving into the retail supply chain it makes perfect sense to have their full line up available.

I'd buy a Dell mobile device. But then I like Dell products.

[snowglyder @ Dec 10th 2007 11:50AM]

If my Axim x50v had phone capabilities, maybe I'd use it more...

[Prokanda @ Dec 10th 2007 12:03PM]

The Axim's weren't bad devices. My mom has a relatively old one (I think it's an x30 or something) and it's still working strong. I think that if dell put their minds to the drawing board they could create a decent little device... but what carriers would it be on... hrm.

[freakmarket @ Dec 10th 2007 12:09PM]

The Axim X30 and X51v were the best handhelds ever made quality wise hands down. Dell could very easily have a contender to the iPhone ... no one else has came close to the "pretty factor" of the iPhone yet ... which is the only thing the crippled iPhone has going for it.

[David M @ Dec 10th 2007 12:23PM]

It will be interesting to see what happens as more people dip a toe in the smartphone space. On the surface it seems like a natural extension of the PDA space, after all you just need to take a PDA and add a phone to it, right? :)

Apple is getting a lot of well deserved attention for successfully making the leap. No matter what you think about the iPhone, it has, at the very least, given the industry a good shake. But Apple wasn't the first to make the jump. Palm and HP have been at it quite a while.

If Dell thinks that this is a quick and easy sideline business, they should take a close look at HP. HP has weathered the PDA slump and has been working on Smartphones for more than three years. Their current batch of devices get some decent reviews, but their slice of the market is shrinking (rapidly).

I suspect that they will jump on the Windows Mobile bandwagon. If they really want to shake up the market, they could become an early adopter of Android. While this would be a risky move, it at least has the opportunity to become a breakaway hit rather than a likely "me too" entrant in the market.




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[rob @ Dec 10th 2007 12:40PM]

I think they should do a PDA/DAP combo seeing how much PDA functionality people ask for in the iPod Touch.

[rlaika @ Dec 10th 2007 12:44PM]

O the joy, another device running the janky-ass Windows Mobile os. Just what the world needed.

[sma @ Dec 10th 2007 2:56PM]

I like my Axim x50v but it would be so much better if it had a phone and gps built in. I have a bluetooth gps reciever that I use with my Axim, but it's annoying to have to remember to grab it when I go somewhere. I'd also like it if the screen was higher resolution and had a built in camera, maybe one that could handle both pictures and video well. I guess we'll have to wait and see whats around the corner.

[wrabbit @ Dec 10th 2007 3:14PM]

It certainly a hot field right now, it makes sense that Dell will want a piece of that pie. Having said that, I hope they're serious about this - because another Zune (i.e. "we know it's crappy but it's only the 1st version, it'll get better with time") will just clutter the market with another useless device and Engadget with unnecessary articles.

[Vexorg @ Dec 10th 2007 5:46PM]

Although I don't know if I'd use a Dell device as my phone, I still use my old Axim X5 almost daily, and my X50v also still gets used on a regular basis. Both are still going strong, several years after I bought them.

[TareX @ Dec 11th 2007 6:17AM]

Axim x51v + Sliding QWERTY keypad (like the imate ultimate 9502) = a Phone any sane person with enough cash would buy in a blink.

Please DELL, do a qwerty.

With the current technology, I guess they could do an Axim x51v-ish phone that is thinner and can accomodate a sliding qwerty keypad, with improved battery life.

I hope it's no rumor.