Dell to Make Google and Microsoft Phones -- Really?

— -- Just when you thought there are enough not-so-good looking and overrated phones out there, Dell is expected to announce two iPhone and Blackberry competitors sometime next month. Code-named MePhone (hopefully not the final name), the phones will run on Google Android and Microsoft Windows Mobile respectively.

Following rumors going back as far as July 2007, the Wall Street Journal announced this morning that Dell will introduce in February at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona two new mobile phones, set to go head to head with market leaders Apple and Research In Motion.

One of the phones will be touchscreen-only while the other will feature a slide-out keyboard, similar to the T-Mobile G1. It is not known which of the models will feature Windows Mobile and which will run on Android and other technical specifications are not available yet either. Also, no partnership with any U.S. wireless carries has been announced.

Now, if we are to take this rumor seriously, Dell's "MePhone" is supposed to go on sale on September 9. WSJ's report also mentions that the Dell phones' focus will be on "customization," but it doesn't say whether it's software or hardware customization -- so nothing is clear on this front either.

We need to keep in mind is that apparently no final decision has been made regarding the launch of these MePhones. Dell's mobile devices can be called off at any time before launch, just as it happened last November with the company's effort to launch a new iPod competitor.

Still, would you buy a Dell smartphone? What kind of features should MePhone have in order to convince you to chose it over an iPhone, Blackberry or T-Mobile G1? Please let me know in the comments.