Concept Alienware Android phone makes our brain, hands hurt

There's a reason phones don't remotely resemble PC cases, and we think this mockup does a fabulous job demonstrating why that is. Okay, look, we're totally cool with Dell and Alienware producing an Alienware-branded handset -- especially if it runs Android, a platform Dell has been rumored to be very, very interested in -- we just really don't want this (or anything like this) to be it. The morphing keypad and user interface look awesome, but we have a very simple rule when we purchase a new phone: under no circumstances should the slider have physically painful ridges digging into your hands during use. Is that too much to ask?

[Thanks, Julian]

[Kris S. @ Feb 16th 2008 3:26PM]

The ugly! It burns!

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Feb 16th 2008 3:42PM]

It's a also a chick repellant.

[Kirill @ Feb 16th 2008 3:59PM]

On the contrary, it's ribbed for her pleasure.

[caleb @ Feb 16th 2008 5:21PM]

You have to admit. It would be pretty awesome if you were 10.

[Marc @ Feb 17th 2008 7:08AM]

i agree, why does everyone think alienware make stylish hardware. it's so complicated and this silver/blue thing looks awful. since when do aliens look cool?

[Nick @ Feb 19th 2008 11:25AM]

the brand name Alienware gives them so many cool possibilities and all they can come up with is a cell phone that looks like their computer case?!?!?!?!

pathetic!

[Alex @ Feb 16th 2008 3:28PM]

Looks like someone's been watching too much Metalocalypse.

[Dave @ Feb 16th 2008 4:20PM]

The chances for this going into production are about as good as HTC providing the TyTn II with decent directdraw drivers

[Jeff @ Feb 16th 2008 3:30PM]

They're speed holes...they make the phone go faster.

[Abuzar @ Feb 17th 2008 4:52PM]

Now we just need some flaming stickers!

[smilgy @ Feb 16th 2008 3:31PM]

I'll take 2 please!

[Oskari Försti @ Feb 16th 2008 3:32PM]

Oh my god, that has to be the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Jesus Christ.

[Chebwa @ Feb 16th 2008 4:05PM]

Let me knock it down to 2nd for ya.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/02/linus-torvalds-apple.jpg

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 16th 2008 10:07PM]

Has anybody ever noticed that Linus looks like what would happen if you took Balki and Cousin Larry from "Perfect Strangers" and put them both into the teleporter pods from "The Fly", thus ending up with one super-dorky dude with bad fashion sense and a bolo tie?

He's one "Don't be ridiculous" away from freakin' me out.

[ethana2 @ Feb 16th 2008 10:47PM]

Yeah, but if I met Steve Ballmer in a dark ally, I'd never recover.

At least Torvalds knows how to make an OS that works.

[Dan @ Feb 16th 2008 3:34PM]

No.

[Sirius @ Feb 17th 2008 11:48AM]

Maybe if this was a case design instead? (Without the slider thing)... I mean.. such a big screen (scaled up to the size of a PC case) would actually make sideshow, etc more useful, no?

[Dan @ Feb 17th 2008 2:42PM]

...
Still no.

[Mo @ Feb 16th 2008 3:37PM]

That is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. All these companies are trying to compete with apple and iphone. I really hate that stupid term "iphone killer". Everyone uses that stupid term. There is no such thing. Just give it up. Who the heck is going to buy that?

[Carbonize @ Feb 16th 2008 3:45PM]

Same sort of people who purchased an iPhone. Or, in other words, people who prefer looks/hype over substance.

[Chebwa @ Feb 16th 2008 4:07PM]

How the hell did you manage to bring iPhone competition into this!? It is a mockup designed by someone unrelated to Alienware or Dell.

Read the article and cool down, Appleboy.

[Raheem @ Feb 16th 2008 4:13PM]

Carbonize, there are plenty of people who don't need much substance within their phone, just something they like the looks of that makes phone calls. I'm not one of them but once upon a time I worked for O2 and at least 50% of people just wanted a PHONE.

[Carbonize @ Feb 16th 2008 4:28PM]

@Chebwa - Maybe you should heed your own advice and read the actual article - "To add to the excitement there have been rumours recently that Dell and Google are on the point of making a surprise announcement at the 3GSM World Mobile Congress with speculation growing over an iPhone-challenging mobile device."

@Raheem - My point was that the iPhone is all show and little go. It's camera sucks, it cannot do MMS, it cannot do video and they try to tie you to a provider of their choice. I was not referring to people just wanting a basic phone but people who buy an iPhone are not after basic phone, they are after hhmmm god knows what they are after. Possibly they think owning an iPhone makes them look cool.

[Chebwa @ Feb 16th 2008 5:44PM]

The way he worded his comment implies he is referring to the image above, not the content of a rumored Dell handset.

"That is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen."

[Raheem @ Feb 16th 2008 6:44PM]

Carbonize, I own an iPhone. I've never before owned an Apple product, was under no illusions of what it could/could not do, simply find it a pretty device that does what it says. I agree, it should not be limited to one network but I was on a pretty hot O2 contract already so a jailbreak and a sim swap meant it was easy enough. Let me stop justifying my purchase and make my point. Perhaps that's how iPhone users are viewed where you're from, but I've never experienced the negativity you associate with it.

[UK @ Feb 16th 2008 9:48PM]

@carbonize
Your saying this has looks?
:P

[Sam Winter @ Feb 17th 2008 8:19PM]

@Carbonize
You may disagree with the "official" carrier-lock and yet to be implemented features of the iPhone, but such an idiotic expression as "all show and no go" is just plain wrong. First of all the iPhone literally has some of the best system hardware on the market. It has a 620mhz Samsung ARM11 and a great 3D graphics co-processor. The SDK will be out in a few days and will provide for some excellent applications. I'm also sure MMS and video recording is in the works and will surely be released in the following months. As much as it bothers a lot of us, Apple does indeed take their time to get it right the first time. As much as I hated the iPhone coming out on EDGE (as I've been using 3G EVDO with verizon for a year) it did make sense given that their buddy AT&T has UMTS in about 3 places in the entire USA. Now that they are working hard to roll it out more, and tri-band 3G chips have down in price and energy consumption, it makes sense for Apple to bring a 3G phone out in the late spring or early summer.

For those of you who constantly bash on the iPhone, I suggest you actually TRY ONE, because you are certainly missing out. It's your loss.

[Mr Deeds @ Feb 16th 2008 3:40PM]

"under no circumstances should the slider have physically painful ridges digging into your hands during use" How many of you grip your 2 ounce cell phones like a 30 pound dumbell as this reviewer ovviously does? If something that only weighs a couple of ounces is digging into your hands then the problem would be the person applying the pressure to the phone, not the phone.

[Tony @ Feb 16th 2008 3:51PM]

It's a mock up.

No reviewer was injured in the writing of this blog entry.

[Rollins @ Feb 16th 2008 3:42PM]

The same guy made a gPhone mockup a while back. Who cares?

[Rome @ Feb 16th 2008 3:50PM]

Is this a joke?
the grills are waste of real estate. It's like a Hunday of phones.

[Tamer Brad @ Feb 16th 2008 3:53PM]

Yes, it is in fact a joke.

[kyle @ Feb 16th 2008 3:50PM]

YIKES

[mewt @ Feb 16th 2008 3:50PM]

phone grill lol

[TMM @ Feb 16th 2008 3:54PM]

The sad thing is: you know, there's people who'd actually buy it.

[matt @ Feb 16th 2008 3:56PM]

THIS IS NOT ANYTHING TO DO ALIENWARE!
It is mock up by dialaphone, who are a mobile phone retailer in the uk. Its amazing how many people don't read the articles. Its merely a blog post by someone who works there.

It even says on the bottom of the drawing!

[Louis @ Feb 16th 2008 6:58PM]

Yeah, it's just an article written to get users to their site and buy their crap, and the sad thing is, the "blogosphere" fell for it sinker, line and hook...

[ugg.tryptophan @ Feb 16th 2008 11:41PM]

your right, this is not anything for alienware to do

[Faulk_Wulf @ Feb 16th 2008 4:03PM]

I think it looks awesome. You can tell instantly its Alienware (indeed I thought it was a 2D front shot of a new case coming out) and it has a unique styling. Since the American phone market up until about last week was all same old same old(The X1 / Modu may be set to change that a bit.) its nice to see some original designs in the market. Sure the styling won't be for everyone but those who likes Alienware styling will love this phone. And no offense to the writer, but how hard do you grip your phone? I mean unless you're a day trader or police officer or some other sort of high tension employee-- I can't see a scenario where the phone would hurt your hand (except situations where you wouldn't notice/care about that (emergencies)) and I'm sure there have been less aesthetically pleasing devices in the world then this. Even if you don't like the design yourself, you should at least be able to see that it is in true Alienware taste.

((Haven't read the article, but did read the comment about the article being misinterpreted. I am mainly commenting in the sense of "If this was real then..."))

Thank you.
Good day.

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 16th 2008 10:11PM]

Remind me not to have you decorate my home.

[Fernando @ Feb 16th 2008 4:05PM]

8800 rip-off!

[Nick @ Feb 16th 2008 4:07PM]

completely and utterly fake to a point in which its hilarious

[Jamma @ Feb 16th 2008 4:10PM]

it WILL play doom!!

[Saad Rabia @ Feb 16th 2008 4:14PM]

Alienware meets Gillette Deodorant!

and, iPhone (Someone had to say it) ;p

[Homo @ Feb 16th 2008 4:17PM]

Finally a hetero iPhone!

[Mark @ Feb 16th 2008 4:17PM]

Looks like the Murderphone from Metalocalypse

[John P @ Feb 16th 2008 5:19PM]

"Night-time minutes start at 11? God, that's brutal."

[cibyr @ Feb 16th 2008 6:51PM]

It hurts my face! :(

[Maestro @ Feb 16th 2008 4:29PM]

In case you are wondering, had Engadget had a headline for this story that read how cool and sleek this phone is, the lemmings would have falling right in to line.

[Drew @ Feb 16th 2008 6:10PM]

Anybody that likes the phone is just to scared to say anything.