Dell May Launch Smartphone

Dell is considering a move into the smartphone business, the Wall Street Journal reports. The computer company has had engineers working on models for more than a year and could launch a competitor to the iPhone or Blackberry as early as next month. CEO Michael Dell also could pull the plug on the project, which remains officially under wraps.

One possible model is similar to the iPhone in that it has a touchscreen but no keyboard, sources tell the Journal. Another is a slider phone with a keyboard. Michael Dell has been exploring new markets for the struggling company, which was the world's largest PC maker as recently as two years ago. He's hired at least two phone experts from Motorola since returning to the company in 2007.
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