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Dell officially announced plans to enter the smart-phone market with its new Mini 3. The phone will be available in late November in China on the China Mobile network and by the end of the year in Brazil on the Claro network.

The smart phone is designed around Google’s Android mobile platform to allow more flexibility and functionality for users and developers. Dell will release more details about the smart phone’s design and functions through the company’s wireless partners.

The Mini 3 marks another step in Dell’s mobile platform strategy. Earlier this year the company released netbooks using China Mobile’s 3G network and soon became the leading seller of the devices through retail outlets. Dell also has existing agreements with wireless carriers around the world, including Vodafone in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, AT&T and Verizon in the United States, M1 and Starhub in Singapore, and Maxis in Malaysia, which will help the company further expand its mobile ventures.

“Our entry into the smart-phone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years,” said Ron Garriques, president of Dell Global Consumer Group. “We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their Internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want.”