Dell: Goodbye PDAs, hello smart phones?

Did Dell quit PDAs to concentrate on smart phones?

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Well, well, isn't this interesting? There's a report out of DigiTimes that Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese-based laptop and hardware manufacturer, is working on a "PDA handset" for Dell with an expected launch date of Q4 2007. Code named Fly, the project is reported to be a Windows Mobile 6 smart phone that will feature a QWERTY keyboard and HSDPA support. The news comes a week after Dell announced it would be discontinuing its Axim line of PDAs. The move would make sense; smart phone sales continue to climb and overshadow standalone PDAs. Plus, let's not forget that Ron Garriques, former head of Motorola's cell phone division, is now running Dell's consumer business unit. Whether they're just making a natural progression to the next step or taking a page from the Apple iPhone, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.