Dell unveils Mini 3 Android smartphone

Dell has finally confirmed that it will enter the smartphone market with a handset running the Google Android operating system.

But don't get too excited, as the Mini 3 will so far only be distributed this month in China via China Mobile and by the end of the year in Brazil through Claro, with more details on the handset available then.

It's the PC player's first move into the smartphone market, something that has been long rumoured to happen next year. Speculation suggests Dell is set to unveil a phone in the US soon, but that has yet to be confirmed.

“Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years,” said Ron Garriques, president of Dell's global consumer group, in a statement.

“We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want,“ he added.

As expected, it is indeed based on the OPhone platform, which looks to let manufacturers develop handsets without investing too much cash.

An analyst with Hapoalim Securities USA told Reuters that he didn't see Dell making much of a dent in the already crowded Android smartphone market over established players like HTC.

"They could have modest success. I wouldn't see it being a big driver," Kevin Hunt said, adding that Dell is unlikely to make much higher margins in phones than it does in computers.

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