Android-Based Mini 3 Smartphone Coming to the United States with AT&T

I’ve blogged about Dell’s Mini 3 smartphone on a couple of occasions: first when we launched it in Brazil partnering with Claro and then when we introduced a version through China Mobile. Today, we confirmed our plans to offer an Android-based Mini 3 through AT&T. It will be one of the first Android-based smartphones to run on their 3G network.

If you’ve been following the smartphone space, you probably already know that Android continues to gain momentum. One of the cool things we like about Android is its flexibility as a platform. That flexibility is central to our core strategy in this market—developing customized solutions for our customers by collaborating with carriers like AT&T. Beyond that, we’ve also talked to customers and surveyed more than 1,500 people about what they are looking for in smartphones and mobile devices. You can view or download a copy of the survey summary from here on Dell’s SlideShare account. For those that don’t want to dig into that level of detail, 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 from leading smart phone manufacturers.

Update: Here’s a video excerpt of AT&T’s Developer Conference at CES, where its President and CEO Ralph de la Vega unveiled AT&T’s smartphone plans along with Ron Garriques, who leads our new Communication Solutions business unit, and executives from other smartphone partners:

AT&T will announce the Mini 3 in the U.S. the first half of 2010. I’ll share more details about the phone itself when we get closer to availability. Below is an image of the prototype. You can click on it to see a slightly larger version.

About the Author: Lionel Menchaca