It seems like coming out with a cell phone, or at least for people to gossip that you're going to release one, is the latest trend for companies we normally wouldn't associate with phones. Acer is primed to unveil its first model next month, and the holiday season was full of rumors of Microsoft releasing a Zune phone. The latest company to join that club is Dell, with word that it will release its first smartphone.

Apparently Dell has put together several prototype handsets. We know that doesn't really mean anything, that a few prototypes is a long way off from planning a release, but it certainly indicates the company's interest. Dell has several ex-Motorola employees on its team and has been meeting with key players in the cell industry.

There's not much in the way of details on any of the devices. Though Android has been mentioned as a possible OS, Dell already has experience working with Windows Mobile from its line of PDAs. The name "MePhone" has been tossed around, but it seems unlikely to be anything more than an internal project name — Dell doesn't even have a trademark on it. We also hear that September 9th is the target launch date for Dell's phone, so it's still a bit of a ways off. There's plenty of time before then for us to start seeing things like testing documents filed with the FCC, confirming the handset's existence. Until then, we'll keep our eyes out — next month's Mobile World Congress would be a great time for an announcement.

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