Been there, done that: Dell rules out return to smartphones

Been there, done that. Dell rules out return to smartphones
Dell may have been onto something with the 5-inch Streak

When the Dell Streak smartphone arrived in 2010, it was looked on as the black sheep of the Android world. After all, who wants a 5-inch Android phone? Well, quite a lot of people as it turned out.

While the Streak may have been ahead of its time in foreseeing a future where smartphone users would clamour for extra display real estate, Dell currently has no desire re-enter the game.

The CEO of the soon-to-be-privately-owned company bluntly informed CNBC today: "We're not getting in the mobile phone business."

He continued: "Every time a new mobile company gets born, they need servers and infrastructure and storage. Companies need to protect and secure their data on these mobile devices."

Bruising battle

Dell's comments make clear the company has other plans to profit from the ever-growing reliance on mobile products, without taking the monetary risk of launching standalone devices.

Dell is set to regain near-full control of the company he founded, following a bruising year-long battle to buy it back from shareholders, for $24.9 billion (about £15.7b, AU$26.9b).

A stockholder vote this week approved the deal meaning, once ratified, Dell will come out with 75% ownership of the computing giant. The private-equity firm Silver Lake will also have a minority stake.

Via AllThingsD

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.