Dell is in talks with China Mobile to bring out smartphones that could be based on the Android operating system, according to an analyst.

Zhang Jun, an analyst at research firm Wedge MKI, said the computer maker is in serious talks with China's largest carrier to release at least two smartphones by the end of the year. Representatives from China Mobile and Dell have not responded to press inquiries as of publication time.

The move could be mutually beneficial, as Dell would be able to capitalize on a growing market that doesn't have as much competition. Despite years of negotiations, Apple has yet to officially release the iPhone in China, and Research In Motion has a very small BlackBerry subscriber base in the country. With about half a billion subscribers, China Mobile could be a very big boost for Dell's mobile entry, especially as reports suggest U.S. carriers weren't very interested in its prototype smartphones.

For China Mobile, a potential partnership could give the carrier more leverage in the design and creation process of smartphones that operate on its network. The cellular operator will use Open Mobile System as the operating system for its smartphones, and this is based on the Google-backed Android OS, but it has carrier-specific features like China Mobile's instant messaging client.

Dell also is well-versed with China Mobile's mobile broadband technology, as it will be releasing this week an Inspiron Mini 10 capable of using the carrier's 3G technology, which is based on the homegrown TD-SCDMA standard. China Mobile will likely be the only major carrier to use this standard, but its sheer number of subscribers means companies like Nokia, Samsung, and HTC will support it.

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