I’m not sure why its taken DELL this long to develop a smart phone but it has. It was thought a few months ago that Dell would purchase Palm but that turned out to nothing or just a good way to artificially inflate the stock. Mobile-163 has released pictures of a Dell prototype smart phone that could be released in China soon. Dell’s first smart phone will run the Google’s Android based operating system and offer 2G network support only.

Remember that Dell Mini 3i Android phone we featured last week? Well, it’s now official, and what’s even better is that most, if not all, of the leaked info including the pictures were pretty accurate. The Dell Mini 3i (also referred to as the MINI3I) features a 3.5-inch capacitive 640×360 touchscreen display, 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, miicroSD card support, and runs on the Ophone OMS platforms. No 3G or WiFi on Dell’s maiden Android offering, but I guess this also means it won’t be that expensive either.

Last week, we came across what appeared to be blurry promotional shots of the upcoming Dell Android smartphone . To be name the Dell Mini 3i, this phone has now made it into the real world and we’ve got the photos to prove it. Word of a Google Android phone from Dell had been swirling around for months, but we had very little in terms of substantial evidence to suggest its real existence. We’re still taking these pictures with a slight grain of salt, given that it could very well be a knockoff, but this is starting to look a lot more legitimate.

More than two years after its launch, Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone is still the gadget to beat in the mobile industry. While competition has gotten a little better, it’s still a cut below . Google’s (GOOG) Android, for instance, is one of the most promising rivals — and so far, one of the most underwhelming. So how can another gadget maker come close? Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, the professional Apple watcher , has some tips .

Although it may seem like HTC is at the top of its game these days, its revenue figures don’t really back up that claim. The company is hoping to turn things around with some new smartphones and we’ve got a couple of them here that are reportedly coming down the chute. Might I interest you in the HTC Mega or the HTC Click? As with so many other HTC codenames that preceded them, these names probably won’t stick around long enough for a retail release but the phones should be ready for a wide launch in late Q3 or early Q4 of this year.

Did Google err by unleashing the mobile operating system to open source and letting hardware manufacturers and phone carriers decide what Android smart phones get built? Has Google damned Android to the uncontrollable, unpredictable machinations of too many parties with too many moving parts and disparate agendas? Is the go-to-market strategy phone makers are practicing for issuing Google’s Android smartphones destined for failure because it doesn’t match the way Apple creates and sells its iPhone?

In just the past few weeks Steven Frank , Alex Payne , and Andre Torrez all tried switching from the iPhone to Android. All three are smart, open-minded, and eloquent regarding their reasons for trying Android. All three are developers who care about the quality and design of software and hardware. All three found Android significantly lacking. No doubt some iPhone owners look upon this with glee, much like sports fans watching a rival team flail. I look upon it with glum disappointment.

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has a smart post up exhorting somebody– anybody –to build an Android phone that’s better than the iPhone . As far as I can tell, no manufacturer of Android-based phones has set out to do that–Android phones are getting better, as shown by the significant improvement that T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G represents over the first-generation G1. And some Android phones sport better specs in certain areas than the iPhone, or features that the iPhone doesn’t have.

HTC Magic, the second handset after HTC Dream using Google Android, was unveiled for the frist time in february this year and went on sale on the 27th April, first only in Spain and afterwards in most of the european countries.Whether you already own this PDA or you intend to buy it in the next period of time, I believe a list of cases for HTC Magic will be useful for you.1. HTC Magic Rubber Case – this product is available on Amazon for $3.25.

One of the many unique synths that have been cropping up on Apple’s mobile devices, ( CC ) Beanbag Amerika . Rounding up my catch-up-on-iPod/iPhone-stories, here’s one from the developer perspective – one that could face music creation developers on the entire platform. The Apple iTunes App Store now faces the risk of becoming a victim of its own success. Music applications could be a big part of that, without some adjustments on Apple’s part.