Dell readying the iPhone competitor : 'MePhone'

Chauncey Dupree
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January 29, 2009
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Prepare to avert your eyes.  Dell is planning on entering the Smartphone space with a little gem they might call the MePhone, according to SAI.  People they've chatted with (as well as the Wall Street Journal) say Dell has two models coming our way.  One running Android a la the G1.  The other running Windows Mobile.  How will Dell differentiate itself?  That remains to be seen.  They are entering a very crowded market currently dominated by RIM and Apple's iPhone.

The move isn't surprising as mobile phones are rapidly catching up with computers as the preferred way people access the Internet.  Dell, coming off a pretty bad quarter has to be gazing over at Apple's earnings sheet with a bit of envy.  Dell's been rumored to be working on a mobile phone since the iPhone was announced.

According to SAI, we aren't going to be graced by these beauties until September 9th but Shaw Wu (our fav Mac Analyst) told the Wall St. Journal that they might be coming (or announcing) as early as 3GSM in Barcelona next month. 

This wouldn't be Dell's first forray into the wireles space.  Dell has also been moseying up the the telecoms carriers lately striking deals to sell their Mini 9 w/3G with two year plans in Europe. 

Comments (21)

powers | January 29, 2009 - 7:20pm

Lord... This can't be true. Who would even touch something that looks like that?

"Thanks, I think"

Khris (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 8:42pm

Obviously you're new to the Internet.

People take pre-existing products and Photoshop them to look like new fantasy products......most which never see the light of day.

powers | January 31, 2009 - 11:00am

I'm an Industrial Designer. I have a clue what Photoshop is. Also  concepts and "fantasy" products. Get a life.

"Thanks, I think"

questionnaire (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 9:06pm

It's a phallic symbol, so I'd assume you'd hold it

9to5Mac phallus lover (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 3:46am

i wouldn't touch it with a gloved 10ft stick!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 7:40pm

It's not the "MePhone". It's the "MeTooPhone".

Dan Birchall (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 9:21pm

Dell's business model is clearly "look around until you see someone dominating a market due to awesome products, and then try to figure out how you can get a slice of the pie."

Let me know how that works out for you, Dell. "He who hesitates is lost" definitely appears to be true once Apple enters a market segment.

On the flip side, though, there's also "Look before you leap." Apple usually gets into markets in the first place because they're fragmented and full of half-assed products.

So if Dell had gotten into smartphones in 2007, like it was rumored they were going to do (with something derived from the Axim PDA), the iPhone would probably have still eaten their lunch.

It's good to be the first to do something.
It's better to be the first to do it right.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 8:15pm

Why, when you're writing about a Dell smartphone, are you showinf a mpckp of an Alienware Android phone?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 8:17pm

who owns alienware, dumbass??

admin | January 29, 2009 - 8:27pm

Alienware is a high end Dell Brand

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 10:00pm

If by high-end you mean crammed fully of the fastest, loudest, least power-efficient components and wrapped up in the most gawd-awful, hideous-ass ugly cases.

To understand Dell is to understand everything that is wrong with middle-class, suburban america.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 8:22pm

That looks like shit. Alienware was never a good look and never will be.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 9:15pm

Oh Shit!!! I think I pooped!!!!!!

Bryan M (not verified) | January 29, 2009 - 10:05pm

Yeah, this will be successful.

Just like the DellPod.

shaun79 (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 12:46am

That really is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

Camille (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 2:42am

It really looks like a Gillette Deo Stick.

Yuck.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 6:26am

This looks like Cylon technology.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 11:06am

you can't be serious, can you? this is obviously not Dell's design it even says so on the bottom of the picture. Didn't think Mac fanboys were THAT dense.

daPrinz (not verified) | January 30, 2009 - 12:07pm

I just don't like the slider part. The top part looks actually nice. Why cant's they come up with a good name. mePhone, that's really creative!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 01, 2009 - 1:09pm

mePhone is descriptive. It refers to the WindowsME mobile OS that this thing runs. It is a light version of the desktop OS.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 31, 2009 - 1:54pm

Is it mac compatible? Can it sync with itunes?