Dell Reported to Be in Talks for Chinese Smartphones

Dell Computers, which has been rumoured to be entering the smartphone market for several years, is now hotly rumoured to be in talks with China Mobile to launch its first range of handsets in the country. The company has been apparently rebuffed by several operators who considered prototype handsets as bland an uninspiring. However China Mobile is thought to be keen on the models presented to it.

Last July, Dell teamed up with China's Datang Mobile to develop a range of products based on the Chinese 3G standard, TD-SCDMA. The core aspect of the cooperation related to studying the compatibility of the Windows operating system with a 3G data card and Dell computers.

The smartphones are however understood to be based on OMS (Open Mobile System) - which is China Mobile's own in-house smartphone operating system - not on Windows Mobile.

One version of the smartphone is said to be a pure touchscreen model, whilst a second handset is reported to be a slider-style phone with a keypad and that slides from beneath the screen.

Michael Dell, CEO of the firm had previously commented: "In the past three years, Dell has integrated 3G wireless technologies into its laptop products. And we have also entered into agreements with many mobile carriers about netbook devices. Therefore, it is reasonable that we will launch smaller wireless internet devices or smartphones in the near future."

Citing unnamed analysts, Reuters said that Dell has not confirmed the plans but is understood to be working on handsets with Chi Mei Communications, a unit of Taiwan electronics giant Hon Hai.

A report earlier this year in the Wall Street Journal said that Dell has had a group of engineers working on the phones for more than a year from an office in the Chicago area.

Posted to the site on 14th April 2009