Dell may be edging much closer to its emergence into the smartphone market, according to the Wall Street Journal. Although earlier speculation indicated a tendency toward the Windows Mobile platform, the latest report suggests the company has been experimenting with Android as well. The move could serve to hedge against difficult conditions in the PC market. The company will allegedly focus on high-end smartphones which would compete in the segment dominated by the iPhone and BlackBerry devices.
A Kaufman Bros. analyst earlier this month reported that supply chain investigations indicated that a Dell smartphone is "closer to reality." An accidental website leak in October showed two Pharos smartphones, the Traveler 117 and 127. Specifications indicated Windows Mobile 6.1 with the Microsoft Office Mobile suite.
Despite Dell's history with the Axim PDAs, the company has downplayed the smartphone rumors, although stopping short of outright denials. "I think you'll see us with small-screen devices that have capabilities of the devices [analysts] are referring to," said Michael Dell in September. He also suggested that the separation between notebooks, netbooks and smaller devices would eventually "get blurry and completely disappear."
Source: electronista