Dell Looking Toward Smartphones: WSJ

Dell abandoned the PDA market in 2006, but since then converged devices, such as smartphones, have become increasingly popular. Dell can't help but watch with interest the massive sales of the iPhone as well as the huge spike in interest over Palm's upcoming Pre. So, is Dell considering entering the smartphone market? It is, if a Wall Street Journal report (subscription required) is accurate.

According to the report, Dell has had engineers working on the smartphones for over a year, in the Chicago area (interestingly close to the headquarters of Motorola). Dell hired Ron Garriques, the former executive vice-president of Motorola cell phone division to head its consumer-products efforts, but due a non-compete agreement he signed, he can't have any involvement in Dell's phone efforts until later this month.

Instead, Dell has been relying on another former Motorola employee, John Thode, who has, according to the WSJ, been operating the phone development group in isolation from the rest of Dell (which is headquartered in Round Rock, TX).

The company is reportedly working on a touch-screen phone (a la the iPhone), but also on one with a slideout keyboard. The WSJ report noted that Dell is hedging its bets on the issue of platforms, looking toward both Windows Mobile and Android.

Any such announcement would a natural for the Mobile World Congress, which runs Feb. 16 - 19 in Barcelona, Spain. We'll see what happens.