High-profile device launches look set to be a key feature of next month’s GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Long-running speculation concerning a move by computer manufacturer Dell into the smartphone space stepped up a gear today with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the vendor is plotting a foray into the ‘cellphone arena’ as early as next month. The report claims that, if launched, the smartphones will be based on both Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platforms, with one model featuring a touchscreen. Such a move would pit it against rivals Apple and Research In Motion. Already this month rumours have surfaced around Huawei launching the world’s second handset to support Android (following the HTC G1 device launched last October) at the show, and an entry into the smartphone space by notebook manufacturer Acer. Even the world’s largest handset vendor has not escaped media attention; unconfirmed reports this week suggest a somewhat unlikely move into the netbook space for Nokia.

Analysts believe the smartphone space is a profitable area for these vendors to target. IDC expects smartphone shipments to climb 8.9 percent globally in 2009, far outstripping a decline in the overall worldwide mobile handset market. Meanwhile, ABI Research predicts even greater growth, with smartphone shipments in 2009 reaching 203 million, an 18 percent increase year-on-year. It expects smartphones to make up more than 17 percent of total mobile devices shipped in 2009. ABI expects total mobile devices shipped this year to fall 2.5 percent, from 1.21 billion in 2008 to 1.17 billion in 2009.