The Dell Mini 3 smart phone
Photo: Dell

As we reported earlier, computer maker Dell announced today that it will re-enter the U.S. smart-phone market, bringing AT&T’s first Android-powered phone sometime during the first half of this year. The phone, Mini 3, has already been introduced in China and Brazil.

Though specs are not yet available for the AT&T phone version, the Mini 3 some core specs, including its 3.5-in. touchscreen, 3-megapixel camera with flash, 3G support, and GPS navigation are expected to remain intact from the international version.

It’s interesting that AT&T would count on a company with an unproven record in smart phones to introduce its first phone running on the Android operating system, which is rapidly becoming the most popular platform for smart phones. Besides lagging in the “Android” race, AT&T has been getting dinged for lackluster service, particularly among iPhone owners. In Consumer Reports' recent survey of cell-phone service (available to subscribers), the carrier received among the lowest scores.

I’ll have more details on this phone and other upcoming products when I meet with Dell tomorrow, here at CES in Las Vegas.

—Mike Gikas