android : hand on Dell Mini 3 smart phone

The Dell Mini 3 is a small, slim Android-powered smartphone, with a big touchscreen and a sharp profile. The versions already released in China and Brazil have been heavily customized, to the point of no longer even being able to download apps from the Android Market. AT&T has announced that it will be getting a Dell phone which looks exactly like it. Its phone will be able to download Android Market apps but may not have the standard Google array, said Bill Gordon, Dell's general manager of small-screen devices.

"AT&T will choose to have different applications on their device. Some will be their own, some will be Google's, and there's some they've asked us to deliver," said Bill Gordon, Dell's general manager of small-screen devices.

"Our customers are the carrier base ... the carrier is our customer," said John Thode, Dell's president of small devices.

But even though the Mini 3 will be customized to AT&T's demands, there will also be an unlocked version, Thode said.

Thode said the Mini 3 will support both Exchange ActiveSync and sync media with Windows Media Player, including DRM files.

I got some very limited hands-on time with the Mini 3 and only a brief glimpse of the UI, which Dell made sure to say is unfinished. That said, it doesn't look like the standard Android user interface—even on AT&T, this may be a customized phone rather than the usual Android

Mini 3 smart phones create an easy-to-use mobile Internet experience. The Android-based platform gives the Mini 3 optimal power, flexibility and customization opportunities for both users and operators. Collaboration between Dell and AT&T combines the very best in performance and style. And, with AT&T’s largest Wi-Fi hotspot network, and fastest 3G network, Dell and AT&T will provide today’s social media mavens with the ability to simultaneously Tweet friends, post Facebook updates, share pictures and browse the Web.

Today’s announcement builds upon Dell’s mobile strategy of delivering communications solutions for wireless operators and their dedicated customers. Dell works with select operators around the world to make the most of their customers’ mobile experiences – on any network and using any application.

The arrangement with AT&T is part of Dell’s continued focus on developing smart mobile products and services through value-added relationships with leading operators. Dell has existing arrangements with other leading global telecom providers, including Vodafone in Europe, Australia and New Zealand; AT&T in the United States; M1 and Starhub in Singapore; Maxis in Malaysia; China Mobile in China; and Claro in Brazil – each creating more opportunities to meet the needs of the connected lifestyle.

Dell has contact with and listens to the requirements of millions of customers. In addition, a recent Dell-sponsored study of more than 1,500 people provides keen insight into what makes the best smart phone and mobile experience. Study highlights include:

* Eighty-two percent of those who own smart phones said they would not leave home without them;

* Eighty-six percent of survey respondents under age 35 say that personalized software and features on smart phones are important;

* More than half say they wish there were more smart phone options available in the marketplace;

* Seventy-six percent say they would consider new smart phone devices from a well-known technology brand; and

* Nearly 90 percent say they would consider purchasing a smart phone from a highly regarded technology company as an alternative to leading smart phone manufacturers.

“Smart phones are an extension of Dell’s strategy to develop intelligent and more mobile products that meet the needs of operators and customers,” said Ron Garriques, president, Dell Communication Solutions. “The Mini 3 is a result of listening to customers and creating products that allow people to do the things they want, whenever and wherever they want to do them.”

“As the leader in smart phones, AT&T makes a great match with Dell to introduce the next Mini 3,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We offer our customers what no one else can, the nation’s fastest 3G network, the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network and now, Dell’s first smart phone in the U.S.”