Dell reportedly reboots smartphone plans

After a poor response from operators, Dell has abandoned its initial designs for Windows and Android smartphones, reports say.

The reports are based on a note issued by Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu, who apparently said Dell had now "gone back to the drawing board" in a bid to create more distinctive designs.

Dell has never officially said it is working on a smartphone, but in February AT&T chief executive Ralph de la Vega accidentally outed the manufacturer's intentions at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.