ViewSonic late yesterday said it plans to enter the smartphone market. Normally known for its displays and its recent entry into netbooks, the company justifies the move both as a reflection of convergence in electronics as well as its desire to move into small-screened devices below its usual photo frames. No features have been revealed in advance other than the use of 3G networking.

While few clues have been given as to ViewSonic's direction, the company is most likely to use a commonly licensed mobile operating system such as Android, Symbian or Windows Mobile rather than a custom platform. The initial debut will take place in China but should expand to Europe and eventually the Americas.