Is Dell's Phone Called The MePhone?
We've received a few tips from someone who claims to be close to Dell (DELL) about the company's entry into the smartphone market. We don't know if they're true, but they're not unreasonable, so we decided to share them for discussion. We are asking Dell for comment, and will update if they respond.
Here's what we've heard:
Dell is supposedly calling its phone "MePhone." (Perhaps a code name?)
The focus is "customization."
It'll go on sale on Sept. 9 -- 9/9/09.
This sounds plausible, though we're not sure what "customization" means -- or if most people really want to go through the trouble of customizing much about their phones. Software? Perhaps. Hardware? Probably less. It's the opposite strategy Apple has taken -- the iPhone is less customizable than most phones -- but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.
The name "MePhone" -- if real -- is an obvious shot at iPhone. Dell doesn't seem to have a trademark on "MePhone" or "Me Phone." And mephone.com is for sale. So we're not sure how realistic that is.
Dell hasn't even announced that they're getting into the mobile phone market, but it's been rumored since the company hired former Motorola (MOT) exec Ron Garriques to run its consumer division in 2007.
We've heard from a plugged-in source in the mobile industry that a Dell phone is definitely on its way. But we don't know key details, such as which software platform Dell will use -- Google's (GOOG) Android, Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Mobile, Nokia's (NOK) Symbian, etc.
source
Here's what we've heard:
Dell is supposedly calling its phone "MePhone." (Perhaps a code name?)
The focus is "customization."
It'll go on sale on Sept. 9 -- 9/9/09.
This sounds plausible, though we're not sure what "customization" means -- or if most people really want to go through the trouble of customizing much about their phones. Software? Perhaps. Hardware? Probably less. It's the opposite strategy Apple has taken -- the iPhone is less customizable than most phones -- but that doesn't mean it's a bad one.
The name "MePhone" -- if real -- is an obvious shot at iPhone. Dell doesn't seem to have a trademark on "MePhone" or "Me Phone." And mephone.com is for sale. So we're not sure how realistic that is.
Dell hasn't even announced that they're getting into the mobile phone market, but it's been rumored since the company hired former Motorola (MOT) exec Ron Garriques to run its consumer division in 2007.
We've heard from a plugged-in source in the mobile industry that a Dell phone is definitely on its way. But we don't know key details, such as which software platform Dell will use -- Google's (GOOG) Android, Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Mobile, Nokia's (NOK) Symbian, etc.
source
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