Dell has officially jumped into the smartphone arena, announcing that it will debut an Android model, Mini 3, in China and Brazil, with launches in other markets to follow. Though it may seem that an Android army is lining up against the iPhone, the plethora of choices may actually work in Apple's favor. The iPhone has a distinct personality, suggested analyst Greg Sterling.

After months of rumors, Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) has confirmed its intention to become a major player in the smartphone sector, announcing partnerships with China Mobile and Brazil-based Claro, which is part of the America Movil network.

This is not a regional or emerging market strategy on the part of Dell. "We plan to announce agreements with carriers in other markets eventually," spokesperson Matt Parretta told LinuxInsider.

Dell and its carrier partners will be marketing the Mini 3 smartphone, built on the Android platform. Specs for the device will be announced as the phone is ready to be released, Parretta said. For China, that will be as soon as the end of the month; in Brazil, Claro expects the handset to reach the market by year end.

Dell and China Mobile have been working on product development for more than a year, Parretta added.

Brazil and China First

Dell has existing agreements with other global telecom providers, including Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) in Europe; AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon in the U.S.; M1 and Starhub in Singapore; and Maxis in Malaysia.

The company has longstanding ties with both China and Brazil in other IT areas, which may account for its decision to launch the Mini 3 in these huge emerging markets. Dell was among the first mobile PC manufacturers to incorporate China Mobile's 3G technology and services into its netbooks and has since become a top seller of netbooks in the country.

Its ties to Brazil may be even stronger: The country was home to Dell's first offshore software development center, established in March 2001. It now employs more than 500 people and is one of only four IT centers supporting applications and infrastructure for Dell globally, Jairo Avritchir, Brazil IT site director for Dell, said at an IT event in New York this week.