Another computer maker starts to talk the talk of dabbing in the handset making process.  Just last week, Om Malik of GigaOM, spoke with Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc., about plans that he has in the making.  And although the eighth richest man in the world didn’t actually close the deal on the future Dell smartphone, he did hint at the possibility and that is good enough for us.

Apple and Dell … Battle of the Riches

Ever since Steve Jobs decided to bring Apple to life, it has truly taken over the idea of an outstanding technology device.  Whether it is computers or a smartphone, Apple truly brings the best to the table every time.  At the same time, Dell computers have been around for awhile now and have consistently performed well in many tests.  With the new Microsoft Vista, Dell computers are back on the right track and making good profit.  I am sure Michael Dell has seen the success Apple has had with the release of the new Apple iPhone 3G, so why wouldn’t he want to join in the “friendly” competition? 

An Excerpt from Michael Dell (thanks GigaOM!)

Below is an excerpt from a GigaOM interview between Om Malik and Michael Dell … to see the rest of this interview, please visit GigaOM.com 

Dell: We are certainly looking at the whole smartphone category, but I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon.

Om: With the emergence of Google’s Android, and with Symbian OS and Microsoft Mobile already on the market, do you think that makes it easier for Dell to get into the phone business?

Dell: What you’ve got [are] industry-standard platforms upon which applications are being built and ecosystems are being created, and that kind of building-block architecture gives us all sorts of opportunities.

Om: You can be a big game-changer in this market, right? You can decide to work with Android orSymbian. Is there a desire on your part to work with one over the other?

Dell: We’re not ready to publicly disclose our plans there…we’re kind of working on that. 

Closing Remarks

That part where Dell said “we’re kind of working on that” is enough for me to hear.  I think this will be great competition, especially for the consumer because they will continually be competing for better devices and technology.  I guess only time will tell, but I like the track that this train is going down …

After it’s supposed debut in the box office hit “The Dark Knight,” the Nokia XpressMedia 5800 Tube has been caught in the wild again.  Nokia has not released any official information on this slick looking handset, but it looks like it just might be a dandy of a phone.

Nokia 5800 Tube Specs

According to intomobile.com, the latest of Nokia’s lineup will be shipped in late 2008 as the Nokia 5800 Tube and will show-off a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus.  It will also include a 3.2-inch touchscreen display with 16 million colors, which is slightly less than its competitor’s iPhone screen with a 3.5-inch multi-touch display.  As far as communication goes, the Nokia Tube will have a quad-band GSM/EDGE radio with 3G UMTS/HSDPA.  Pair this up with Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, and some GPS navigation and you will be home free.

And as far as the little extras go … there are plenty of them.  A 3.5 mm headphone jack and TV-out port is included with along with the ability to “geo-tag” pics.  Nokia is putting out a great phone with the Nokia 5800 Tube, but they aren’t considering it their “flagship device.”

Some Pictures of Nokia’s New Baby

Will It Compete?

I think that the Nokia 5800 Tube phone will be a great smartphone for people who want a great device, without all of the “extras.”  This phone has some good specs, but still may not be able to compete with the Apple iPhone 3G or a new BlackBerry device.  Nokia continues to push out new phones and are consistently a good option for any tech device … so my prediction for the late 2008 release of this phone is that you won’t be disappointed. 

With the debut of the iPhone 3G, Steve Jobs had the world buzzing about the low, low $199 cost of this beauty of a phone. Until, that is, you waited in line all night, snagged your new iPhone, and found out how much that little guy was REALLY going to cost you with the higher price of the mandatory data plan. With smartphones getting cheaper all the time - only $99 for a Samsung Blackjack II, in a variety of colors, $149 for a Blackberry Curve, and $199 for a new iPhone (all with a plan, from AT&T), the cell companies have to do something to make some money!

Although the iPhone’s price is far lower than  makes sense, you’ll still get hit in the wallet with the purchase of one of these new, 3G speed-machines. How? The mandatory $30 data plan, up 50% from the original iPhone’s data plan, will hike your bill to nearly $100 a month. The additional $10 a month you’ll spend with a new iPhone as opposed to the original will end up costing you $240 over the 2-year period you are locked into when you buy your new iPhone 3G, which kind of takes the “bargain” out of that sub-$200 price-mark. While the 3G network is undoubtedly faster than the EDGE network, to get unlimited access you’ll pay $45 a month on top of your calling plan.

Apple and AT&T aren’t the only ones to get you with data. According to MSNBC, T-Mobile is being sued for not allowing customers out of their $20-$30 per month text messaging plans. According to Marco Zaldivar, his family was subject to extra fees of up to $30 because of text-message-spam that TMobile would not allow them to avoid. Zaldivar’s lawyer claims the family was charged whether they opened the messages or not, and that when they tried to disconnect their text messaging service altogether, TMobile said no.

The Bottom Line

While data-enabled phones make the world go around for some of us, and many enjoy being connected wherever you may be, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Ask every question you can think of as you set up your plan, and ask your customer service rep how much your monthly bill will look like, and where any added fees may appear. It’s important to stay connected and in-touch, but make sure you aren’t getting sucked in by what looks like a low-price, only to be surprised and overwhelmed later.