Huge win for Google: Dell confirms Android phone

Chalk up another win for Google in the 21st Century mobile phone war: Dell has announced its first foray into the cellphone market - and it will be with a mobile that runs on the search giant’s Android operating system.

Dell’s Android phone, featuring both a touchscreen and a keyboard, is expected next year on US carrier AT&T, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Dell is also talking to multiple other carriers.

In the PC market, Dell has always been closely tied to Google rival Microsoft.

HTC already has a Google Android based phone in the market (sold here by Vodafone; read review here), while LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola have Android-based models in the works.

While it still has a larger user-base, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile has yet to catch fire with customers or phone makers. This week’s local launch of Window Mobile 6.5 was backed by a single handset maker (LG), although an HTC model running 6.5 is promised in the New Year.

Both Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile are squaring off against Apple’s proprietary iPhone OS, and Nokia’s open-source, more old-school Symbian OS.

Dell and HP are also trialling a netbook version of Android - a precursor to Google's full-blown Windows competitor, ChromeOS, due in 2010.