By No wonder every carrier in the developed world scoffed at the Dell Android Phone they lugged continent to continent for which they sought a distribution partner – it was the opposite of impressive. It is the Dell Mini 3i and it is underwhelming to say the least. With no Wi-Fi or WAPI (Chinese equivalent) and no 3G, this phone is an immediate snooze right out of the gate, forcing us to not give a darn about any other specs such as the 3MP camera, MicroSD slot and Bluetooth.
The Official Announcement coincides with the launch of China Mobile’s “Mobile Market”, a distribution platform for mobile apps on various phones the carrier offers including those with Open Mobile System, the company’s proprietary and closed-up version of Android. New pictures of the device were found on 163.com:
While I’m not completely familiar with the health of the Chinese mobile market, I’m pretty sure that Dell is going to have to do a LOT more than this to gain any ground in their mobile efforts. If you’re trying to get your foot in the door, why launch a device that immediately makes you seem outdated and irrelevant when you’re just beginning your entrance into a new field?
If the Mini 3i has anything going for it, the looks aren’t abysmal. And as always, value depends on price. Dell spokesmen/women/people declined to comment further on the device which was only discussed by China Mobile representatives. I end a lot of articles by saying I’m interested to see where the story goes, but I can’t trick myself into thinking I care about the fate of the Mini 3i.
I hope you all are working on a better Android, dude.
[Tech163 (translated) via ClonedInChina, CNN, EngMo]
No Wifi, no 3G, no keyboard … wow. Way to design a phone designed to fail.
While I find the lack of 3G disturbing, you can’t fault Dell for not having WiFi on this device in China. The Chinese have very specific rules when it comes to internet restrictions. In fact, when the iPhone lands (or landed, I can’t remember the timeline) there I’m pretty sure it didn’t (won’t) have WiFi either.
I also remember the first version of the iPhone running on the EDGE network…
And while this may not be an impressive offering, I think it shows potential from a company who has a lot going for it in the arena of mobile computing. A device like this is a natural step for Dell to take. At the core of it – the only thing that makes this phone a “phone” is the radio inside… beyond that, it’s a computer. a compact, nice packaged computer. Also, since it’s reportedly running the Android OS that makes it full of goodies and applications and a really easy to use on-screen keyboard. So before we dismiss it entirely let’s wait to see if a US version is released. I would bet that the issues of WiFi and connectivity will be addressed.
yeah, +1 Jeremy. China has alot of restrictions – this phone is likely a representation of those restrictions. There are no legally sold phones with WiFi in china, for example.
anyone know why wifi is banned in china
Because the “Party” doesn’t like it?
Commies…