Dell Aero for AT&T to have custom UI

More details have surfaced about the Dell Aero smartphone that AT&T (NYSE: T) is expected to launch in the first half of 2010. According to a spec sheet from AT&T, the Android-based Aero will sport a custom UI developed by Dell and AT&T. Although details about the UI are vague, it appears to provide users with direct access to social-network software such as Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and TwitPic.

Dell Aero for ATTThe spec sheet also noted the Aero will have a 3.5-inch touchscreen and will connect to both the operator's 3G network and WiFi. It will also have a 5-megapixel camera and will provide access to standard Android features such as Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and the Android Market.

The Dell Aero is the company's first smartphone for the U.S. market. The device previously paraded under the Mini3 moniker.

The news is notable considering what appears to be Dell's wide-ranging smartphone ambitions. According to documents recently leaked to the blog Engadget, Dell is planning to develop a range of smartphones running both Google's Android platform and Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7 offering.

Of course, Dell is not the only computer manufacturer to target the smartphone space. Lenovo and Acer are also boosting their respective smartphone efforts, while computing giant Hewlett-Packard this week agreed to spend $1.2 billion to acquire webOS developer and smartphone manufacturer Palm.