Dell open to developing mobile devices with carriers

IDG News Service - Dell said it is willing to work with carriers worldwide to develop more mobile devices, suggesting that another phonelike prototype like the one it developed with China Mobile could be on the cards.

The company recently showed off a prototype mobile handset it developed with the Chinese mobile service provider, though neither has commented on when it will be available.

Dell collaborates with major telecommunication carriers worldwide, including AT&T and Vodafone. It is willing to make products with various screen sizes to suit the needs of the carriers it works with, said company founder and CEO Michael Dell on a conference call Thursday.

"We'll go and build products those carrier partners want to see." Dell said. "The [China Mobile] prototype ... is one of those [products]."

Few details are available about the China Mobile device, though it is rumored to come with the Android operating system, a digital camera and support for a 2G network.

Dell already offers mobile devices like netbooks to customers as part of wireless carrier bundles. Netbooks are low-cost PCs that offer basic PC functionality and are characterized by small screens and keyboards.

However, company officials said they would like to try and focus more on enterprise products like servers and storage, which deliver better margins.

But if Dell decides to dive deeper into the mobile-phone space, it faces stiff competition against competitors like Nokia, Samsung, Apple, Research in Motion, Sony Ericsson and Palm.