AT&T may launch Dell phone in 2010

NEW Yoperating system as soon as the early part of next year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.ORK, USA: In a big win for Google, AT&T Mobility may launch a smartphone from Dell running Google's Android.

The report, citing unnamed sources briefed on the plans, said that the phone would have a touchscreen and a small camera.

The report also said that the phone for AT&T would be similar in some respects to the phone that Dell showed at a China Mobile event earlier this summer. The report didn't provide details, however.

Such a phone from Dell would solidify the company's entry into the white-hot smartphone market, and give the nation's second largest operator an Android phone to call its own. AT&T is now the only Tier 1 carrier that has not publicly announced plans to launch Android devices. Rival Verizon Wireless just announced a pact to sell Android devices.

Dell has been teasing a debut into the handset market for months. In August, the computer maker was part of an event in China to support China Mobile's application platform efforts. A Dell phone, called the Mini 3i, was shown at the event, although Dell said that it was only a "proof of concept" device.    

Representatives from AT&T and Dell declined to comment on the report.

(Wall Street Journal)