We broke the news on Dell launching a China-only cell phone on Sunday, and today major Chinese news portal 163.com reports the device is on its way: What Dell will be offering in China is an Android-powered “Ophone” called the mini3i.
China Mobile, the world’s biggest carrier, will distribute the device and plans to launch it as early as “in the middle of this month” (which could mean any day this week). China Mobile plans to establish Ophone as a new brand and sell a number of devices from different makers under it. Apart from Dell, Lenovo and another Chinese company called Dopod [CN] (aka HTC) are expected to release Ophones in the next few days.
All Ophones will support TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access), a China-only 3G standard, which means it will be hard to get the Dell Ophone to work outside China.
No updates yet on Dell China’s or China Mobile’s (Chinese) site. We’ll bring you pictures and specs of the mini3i as soon as we get them.
Via 163.com [CN]
Thanks to Snake Chen from NetEase for the tip.
Update:
We now have a leaked screenshot of China Mobile’s “MobileMarket” platform, an AppStore-like service China Mobile plans to launch on August 17. What you can see is a) how a Beijing tour guide app looks on an OPhone and b) further confirmation that Dell’s model is indeed called mini3i.
Click to enlarge:
WTF, dude you got a dell.
Dopod is HTC in China. you guys don’t know this?
We do, but we should sleep more (added now, thanks).
source url :http://tech.163.com/mobile/09/0810/17/5GCDHE820011179O.html
Does this count as typo-squatting against the iPhone?
OPhone? Really?
“We broke the news” ?
Er, no.
who care’s
In non-Chinese blogs I believe it. I bet people in China figured this out a while ago. I’ve also been hearing the word “Ophone” for a long time.
The Software Development Network for the oPhone has been active for weeks………
http://www.ophonesdn.com/
Dell…old news….
and the OS they are using is a modified Android from a Chinese company called Borqs.
http://www.borqs.com/index_zh.jsp
OPhone? What is the name ?
copying to iPhone?
OPhone is no doubt another copycat considering its name. And Dell going for android shows its hate for Apple as well as windows. Maybe Dell is not hating windows, but might just have become aware that windows mobile’s life is not good for the user who gets plagued by so much of viruses.
Instead android by google is cool.
But then hey is Dell eyeing for Chrome OS of Google. This might explain android on Dell’s machine.
Maybe this is the case or I am just paranoid
Well Android is the right OS for the Ophone platform for China Mobile. That’s the most obvious explanation.
That’s a bit of a play on “iPhone” isn’t it.
And iphone is a bit of a play on phone.
haha smooth Charbax… smooth :)
“Maybe this is the case or I am just paranoid”
Naah, not at all, my good Sir. Rather try “incoherent cheap conspiracy theorist”.
Sounds a heap more appropriate, doesn’t it ?
That said, you are no worse than the flock of insecure bigoted nerds here who can’t think of nothing else to say but: “OMG!!! oPhone is like iPhone! Only with an O!?! WTF?!? The Dell, is copy the Apple!!!!”
I guess life must treat you well when you can take outrage on such ‘dramatic’ matters.
Huh? What are you rambling about?
You must be a Chinese. You need to stop skipping ESL class Chinaman.
Don’t be so rude. His comment made sense if you realized he was replying to this comment (http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/08/10/dell-calls-it-china-only-mobile-phone-ophone-mini3isupports-android/#comment-447166). Which would be easy to find out since he quoted the guy. All you had to do is hit Edit->Find (or Ctrl+F) and paste in “Maybe this is the case or I am just paranoid” and you’d have seen it.
i think dell is showing the public how desperate they are
Idiot. Desperate? Desperately sucessful. And now, making huge move in a massive market. Did I mention, you’re an idiot.
lol oPhone.. it reminds me of a friend’s funny story about buying Adidak shoes (instead of Adidas)
OPhone! What were they thinking…
They were thinking they understand their market a lot better than you do.
Seriously, Ophone is going to be one of the first really advanced smartphone platforms with plenty of apps suited to the tastes of the mainland China market. They are trying to start their own app platform on top of Android if I am not mistaken. Previously China Mobile was going to design their own OS from scratch for Ophone. Someone correct me if I’m wrong about any of that.
There is nothing desperate about this move for Dell. China is a rapidly growing market for smartphones. Ophone may sound like a blatant iPhone rip-off…. but you should realize that (1) the fake mini-iPhone was a sensation in China. (2) The smartphones in China don’t offer very good value. (It’s a lot cheaper for people in Guangdong to simply cross into Hong Kong, if their intention is to buy an unlocked phone.) (3) Ophone is a platform suited to the tastes of the mainland China market.
Just do your pc dell.
i have read about the news is this Dell Ophone will availabe out side the china
i have read about Ophone
http://www.uptomark.com/dell-lunching-%E2%80%9Cophone%E2%80%9D-will-it-compete-the-%E2%80%9Ciphone%E2%80%9D/
China doesn’t want expensive smartphones like the iphone. The iphone 3GS 32GB is sold for more than $1100 unlocked in many European countries. It’s completely ridiculously expensive, considering the cost to manufacture an iphone is probably 10 times lower in Chinese factories.
China doesn’t like it when US companies manfucature something for $110 in their own factories and then tries to come back on their market and sell it 10x more expensive.
Then the Chinese might as well develop their own Smartphones based on the much superior Android smartphone OS.
Ophones based on Android will cost around $100 unlocked with no subscription contracts. In China, people buy pre-paid data, sms and voice plans. Thus practically 10 times cheaper than the iphone.
Are you an IDIOT??? Have you even ever been to China? Yes they do. You should see how many people are copying Iphones and other expensive Nokias. They want it, but cannot always afford it. Also, your comment about US Companies, SHOVE IT! The reason it is so expensive is due to the government taxes and rates. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US COMPANIES RAISING THE PRICE. While in China, even the Chinese express this. Chinese companies charge the exact same, i.e. HuaWei. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT OR DONT SAY ANYTHING!!!
Are you in china?Are you working in the chinese mobile indurstry?
Idoit!you!
Ophone.. Lol..
So creative and so innovative.. Come on Dell you guys can do better than that.
Ummmm, Ofo, you’re an idiot! Dell didn’t come up with the ophone name. Gets your facts straight!
everybody is missing the point. China will be monitoring even more all phone conversations using Dell.
Youtube: Obama Deception
OMG, doesn’t any one see the connection between this and June 6th, 1989 Tiannamen Square?
I think ophonemini3i’s os will be great than other os. Who needs domain
http://ophonemini3i.com
please let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazA77xcf0A
Remember this? :P
DELL DIDN’T COME UP WITH THE NAME ‘OPHONE’ ! ! !
Thank you!!!!!!!
it’s interesting that the Ophone is being sold only in china. perhaps it’s china’s way of developing a domestic market and future competition with the iPhone. the screenshot obviously doesn’t look as snazzy but the content apps seem to have their infrastructure in place!