Alienware Android Phone? Perhaps…
The latest name on the “who is making an android phone” list is Alienware. That’s right… the high end PC manufacturer that many gamers covet as the best-in-class hardware for playing graphic heavy computer games.
The news isn’t a huge surprise because Alienware is owned by Dell (purchased in 2006) and the parent company has been rumored to be creating an Android based phone, or even a Google branded gPhone, some time in 2008.
Dell has been itching to get into the mobile market but their first attempt, a line of PDAs, was a complete flop and has been all but discontinued. Launching their mobile attempts under the Alienware umbrella will give the company the cool, trendy angle that perhaps the Dell branded devices were lacking. Afterall, who wants a Dell phone?
Alienware, meanwhile, is not only well known for being a high performance hardware manufacturer but their designs are innovative and cutting edge. With mobile phone consumers latching on to “what’s cool”, it seems that an Alienware Android phone would be an incredibly smart strategic tactic for Dell marketers.
So what would an Alienware phone look like? Here is a mock design by Jas Seehra from Dial-A-Phone:
Alright… we’ll admit that it DOES look pretty cool! Whether it will actually happen? Who knows.
What is becoming increasingly obvious is the rush for computer manufacturers to step into the mobile arena. Apple did so with a huge splash and others are trying to emulate their success. Many of them are viewing Android as their ticket into the game. Using Google’s Android as a competitive advantage, they could easily get their hardware into the hands of eager phone enthusiasts who will have a limited selection of Android enabled phones. And… as Android grows… so can they.
Unfortunately, the challenges of developing a mobile phone aren’t as easy as Apple made it look with their iPhone launch. Alienware will face an entirely different set of obstacles, but hopefully they can learn from the fatal flaws Dell has made in years past.
What is really enticing about this announcement are the implications in the mobile gaming world. Cell phone games are just starting to become a more popular, affordable past time for on-the-go thumb twiddlers but the Open Source Android platform could blow the hinges off the cell phone gaming industry.
Revolutionizing phone to phone communication and vastly expanding informational boundaries for mobile platforms, Alienware could be the coolest (and only) gaming phone on the market just as the Cell Phone Renaissance hits a Golden Age.
With the power of Dell’s marketing and branding budget behind what some would say is the coolest computer maker around, an Alienware Android phone couldn’t be a better idea. Just don’t mess it up this time…