Dell’s First Android Smartphone Ain’t A Phone

@wolfsingleton: They launched what was arguably the best PDA line on the market at the time - the flagship model is six years old and still 24 MHz faster than the iPhone 3GS on paper - then abandoned it. They've already done PDAs and decided to stop doing them, so there's some of the confusion.

The other confusion comes from the rumor Dell floated about their reason for discontinuing the Axim line, namely that they wanted to concentrate on developing a smartphone.

@OGHowie:
Well look on the bright side, maybe this wont be a piece of crap in quality like the iphone or pre. Those are cheaply made products that i bet Dell is better and more experienced anyways.

@Killjoy: That's a start. Much appreciated.

er... so its a PDA. What is the confusion?

wolfsingleton

@MinskyBA: Not certain, but I bet it has a lot to do with battery life.

AnonJr

It ain't phone. It's FAIL.

@Dr.Jeckyl: It's a work in progress and I haven't come across a ROM ready for flashing yet. What I can do is point you to some of the ongoing work:

Ertan D's project: [axdroid.blogspot.com]

LennySh and AstainHellbring's project: [forum.htcgeeks.com]

An xda-developers thread: [forum.xda-developers.com]

@Killjoy: I'll second that. I have an Axim x51v that hasn't been very useful for a few years, but man that thing is still quick! I don't understand why all the other 'smart'phones are so slow comparatively.

@Killjoy: Can you point me to a guide that would explain how to do this? I have an Axim x30 (I think that's what it is) that I would love to have Android on.

There are few things I would anticipate less than a smartphone by Dell ...

@tudza: They're still working on the radios which was always the problem with porting an OS to the Axim. Plenty of power, but Texas Instruments didn't release enough documentation on the radios for homebrewers to whip up appropriate drivers. You've actually been able to run a few things on the Axim for a while now, just without Wifi or BT.

I think the best bet is to find a CF or SD Wifi card that you *can* write proper drivers for. The problem there is that like any homebrew community, the Axim community has limited time and limited money. Testing every CF and SD Wifi card with each OS would take more of either than was really available.

@tande04: Are you serious? Come on. Round device, predominantly a touch screen in front with only a single button to be seen centered under the screen. No logos allowed on the front of the device, unlike all the other Palm phones.

There's not a lot to it because it's a simple design, but it's not like there were tons of rounded touch screen phones with one single button centered below the screen and no company or carrier names on the device to interfere with the minimalist design.

Denying the Pre is heavily inspired by the iPhone is foolish.

Jonathan Moll

@Daniel Rosenthal: Six years after Dell dropped their flagship Axims the rest of the world is still catching up to 624 MHz processing in a palmtop. I'm not sure you have a point here.

they better pimp the hell out of android before using it as a media player. because the music player that comes in android phones sucks

Julius Caro

Why don't they put the fate of this up to their Dell digg blog thing?

You can run Android on an Axim? Wonder if I need to try that. I'm still very happy with my Axim and don't think any of the new devices are a significant step up.

@vladdybear:

I forget, my 8525 touch screen / pda phone from AT&T did not come out a year prior to the Iphone and other PDA phones and touch screen phones that existed before that never existed either. That is correct, Apple invented it all and touch screens and similar devices prior to Apple releasing them never existed. To start to think Apple copied an idea like touchscreens from someone else instead of them being the originators is beyond crazy. Thanks for clearing that all up.

@egreenwood1:
since it's dell, not much

Daniel Rosenthal

@Bigbadbikernerd: Duh!! I mean the first all touchscreen phone was the iphone, duh!! people come on

noone1569

@Nick: LOL, hey now, my grandma is champion of all things technology. Or at the very least, champion of forwarding chain e-mails with pictures of kittens and puppies.

valkilmerisawful

I really hope the speculation is inaccuate. I can already put Android on my trusty old Axim and with or without it, that device already performs all these functions - so what's the point of reproducing a device you already abandoned once?

It's very simple, Dell. You can make it a phone or make it a loss, take your pick. Frankly, if CF 3G cards worked in the States I'd have had an Axim smartphone years ago.

Not a phone? It ain't pretty enough?

IT'S A TRAP!

uRbAnlP

This device shows signal strength bars in the far right corner. It's either a phone, or not running Android.

PhineasJW

Hey Dell, Einstien once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Just sayin' is all.

It looks like a squished Pre.

Matingmonkey is a proud eMac owner

Remember the Dell DJ? Yeah, didn't think so.

shaneschofield

@OGHowie: They coulda done that when Palm's share price was at $1.50, but then some other investors stepped in and gave them what they needed and now the share price is above $16. Those investors got an amazing deal - an eleven-fold increase in 7 months...if Palm can hang on to it. Which I don't think they can.

@tande04: Duh...the touch screen. 'cause we all know that Apple invented the touch screen. Everyone copies Apple. (Sarcasm)

@Andre Ondre:
[reviews.zdnet.co.uk]

Andre Ondre

@Miguel Henriquez: Because pictures don't always go with articles.

That is a phone, the article is not about a phone, though it does mention that there are phones in the pipeline too.

tande04

all right, so if it isn´t a phone ¿why is there an audio-out thing there on top for you to put on your ear? you know just like the one ALL PHONES have, oh yes maybe its going to be a mini boombox for you to remember the 80s, of course its a phone, now ¿will anybody buy it? i really dont think so

Miguel Henriquez

@FredoGodofredo:

BUT, what if... they add a CHIN to it?

Iphone+Pre+HTC= Bastard Remix

@matt buchanan:

I think PDA
[reviews.zdnet.co.uk]

Andre Ondre

Eww, I don't know...

Dear DELL:

I demand you to kill this abomination.

Thank You

@matt buchanan: I hate the term smartphone, doesn't mean the industry is going to stop using it.

tande04

Pictured don't always go with the article.

Whatever the MID device that Dell rolls out with, this probably isn't it. This is probably a smartphone.

tande04

@tande04: I think MID is a shithouse term.

Dell is retarded. "oh lets get in on a market that is already dominated by making one with Android, that's enough of a gimmick to make people buy it." YEA, GO DELL! I hope they fail, and fail they shall!

Digital9

Looks like a Pre and iPhone had a baby. A cheap hooker baby.

Don't do it Dell, just buy Palm.

@vladdybear: In what world is the Pre modeled after the iPhone?

tande04

this looks like copy of Pre which was modeled after iPhone. I love the chain reaction. The further down the line you go the uglier these things become.

I thought it was a MID, not a media player with internet.

I don't know how important the distinction is though. It will probably end up being a MID with a media player anyways.

tande04

Still looks pretty ugly compared to dells other PDA Dell Axim x51 which was a powerhouse in its time,

Andre Ondre

i hate when the WSJ breaks this news -- i feel like my grandma is telling me about an iPhone or something.

Nick

looks like a nice big screen , wonder whats under the hood?

egreenwood1