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Dell handset rumors continue to swirl
Don't hide it. We all share the same moment of reflection accompanying any $500+ smartphone purchase: "Man, I could really use a cheap, new Axim right about now." Say it loud boy, 'cause you might be in luck if DigiTimes' sources are to be believed. According to the Taiwanese rumor rag, Dell is set to "resume its handheld device business" with a focus on Windows Mobile, not Android as previously rumored (though we'd be nuts to rule that out). Sources claim that Foxconn (not Quanta) is preparing to accept handset orders from Dell who is busy organizing its handheld device team under Ron Garriques, the executive VP Michael Dell hired away from Motorola's cellphone division in early 2007. Of course, the industry stood shaking in its Palm OS boots the first time Dell entered the handheld market in 2002 -- a "Palm killer" as Dell's inexpensive and bulky Pocket PCs were then hailed. Now, with Palm all but dead, Dell would enter an entirely different marketplace dominated by premium handsets from the likes of RIM, HTC and that upstart from Cupertino. Following ASUS' resurgent WinMo offerings unveiled at CeBIT and Acer's recent acquisition of E-Ten, we're pretty sure Michael Dell isn't just looking on from Round Rock, fiddling.
Dell unsurprisingly denies rumors of Google phone
As is the custom in these matters, Dell has flatly denied the existence of any product to announce at MWC, and went further on to state that the company doesn't even plan on attending the show. Rumors of a "Gphone" were probably greatly exaggerated to begin with, and now at least the venue has been firmly shot down. That said, there was no explicit denial of an Android-related product (there never is), so the optimistic ones out there can go on hoping for a Dell phone to solve all their problems. Hey, if Garmin can do it, what's stopping them? [Via Electronista]
Dell's building an Android phone to be unveiled next month? We're not holding our breath.
Stick this one firmly in the rumor category, since all the verbiage that's been thrown around about this story still traces back to one single source: a slightly ill-informed article done up in MarketingWeek in the UK. The article cites unspecified "senior industry sources," and goes on about how this is Dell and Google working closely together on what is more or less the "Gphone." Since we have no reason to believe Google is going to jeopardize its Android OS by getting extra-friendly with one specific manufacturer, the primary weight we can give to this rumor is that fact that Dell picked up a former Motorola executive, Ron Garriques, to run its Global Consumer Group early last year. Other rumors have cropped up over the years about Dell moving in this direction, so it certainly wouldn't signal the apocalypse if a Dell-branded Android phone does show up at this rumored unveiling at 3GSM, but giving how early on Android is at the moment, we'll believe it when we see it.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Mobile 6 unofficially meets Dell's Axim X51v
If you think you've seen this headline before, fret not, all but one measly number is indeed the same. Of course, for Axim X51v owners, that makes all the difference in the world. Just days after Windows Mobile 6 was unofficially made available for the X50v, now X51v owners can experience the same luxury -- if you're down with voiding that warranty and living with a few bugs, that is. Reportedly, some upgraders have seen issues (or outright failures) with WiFi connectivity, Windows Live, and a number of other somewhat minor features, so be sure and read your fill before heedlessly slapping a new OS on your discontinued PDA.[Via DownloadSquad]
Windows Mobile 6 unofficially meets Dell's Axim X50v
Sure, it's been nearly three full years since Dell's Axim X50v was the envy of all your neighbors, and while you aren't likely to find any official updates for the PDA coming out of Round Rock anytime soon, there's (nearly) nothing an engineering mind can't whip up. That said, folks dreaming about migrating Windows Mobile 6 onto their X50v can snap out of it and get to work, as a pioneering individual has apparently managed to do just that. 'Course, we'd recommend that you think long and hard before installing unofficial software onto your handheld, but if you're the mettlesome type, feel free to hit the read link and try 'er out.[Via DownloadSquad]
Dell Axim, RIP: 2002 - 2007
T'is a sad day for legions of Axim fanboys the world over -- yes, they really do exist, especially among PDA emulation gaming enthusiasts -- as Mobility Site is reporting that Dell has quietly removed the last x51-series models from its retail site, effectively spelling the end of the five-year-old brand as we know it. First released in 2002, the Axims were always considered vanguard devices among Pocket PC users, introducing features such as WiFi, VGA screens, and high-end processors as soon as they became available. It would be great to see Dell carry this tradition over onto an Axim line of smartphones -- 624MHz XScale CPUs plus 640 x 480 displays would be pretty hot indeed -- but for now it seems that the company is concentrating on its other businesses, so if you want to buy a PDA from Dell, it's ironically gotta be Palm or nothing or Acer or Pharos.
Dell not so hot for gaming handheld rumors
Oh c'mon Mike, why you gotta ruin all our fun? Dell issued a killjoy statement today, warning that "Dell is constantly evaluating new technologies. However, we have no plans to launch a Gaming handheld at this time." It doesn't really do anything to contradict the word from Abizar Vakharia that such a handheld was "on the radar screen," but it definitely does put a damper on hopes that such a device will be hitting the market anytime soon. Then again, "no plans to launch" could very well mean they just haven't set a date, so we're going to continue to stick our fingers in our ears, sing the national anthem, and dream of a Dell-branded, CE-based, PSP killer to shake up the oh-so-boring handheld market.
Dell working on a gaming handheld?
Surely you jest! But we don't, you see, 'cause it comes straight from the horse's proverbial mouth. The worldwide head of gaming for Dell, Abizar Vahkaria, was recently asked by UK publication PC Plus whether Dell was planning to release some sort of gaming-oriented handheld, to which Vahkaria replied: "You know, that's definitely one that's on the radar screen, but we have no plans to talk about anything today." That's not quite a tacit admission, and there's no telling how comprehensive Abizar's radar screen happens to be, but it's a pretty exciting word all the same from a company whose product range seems to be shrinking rather than growing of late, given the demise of the DJ and lack of updates for the Axim (pictured to the right, rocking a bit of Quake III). Along with the doubt of the actual implications of this statement, it's really anyone's guess what sort of form a Dell "gaming-oriented handheld" might take -- it could be anything from a souped-up UMPC to a specifically designed Axim -- but while we're conjecturing, why might as well go hog wild and assume they're building a PSP / DS / iPod killer, right?[Via Brighthand]
Dell Axim do-it-all dock mod and WiFi antenna port hack
Although it's hardly the most visually appealing device modification we've ever seen, the practicality that this do-it-all dock offers Dell Axim PDA owners is pretty much unrivaled. The mod gives the Axim useful ports like a VGA-out port, a serial port, a car charger, a 4 port USB hub, and RCA and mini jack audio connectors, all contained in one helluva bulky package. Of more interest to the warwalking crowd is a separate modder's WiFi antenna port modification -- something which really should be standard on all portable 802.11-enabled kit by now.
