In addition to overtaking Dell's second place spot for global PC sales, Acer says it is looking to ship an ambitious number of handsets. The computer maker has set a goal to sell 400,000 to 500,000 of its own handsets this year, and next year it wants to move between 1.5 and 2 million units, according to an internal source cited by DigiTimes.

In addition to cooperating with Taiwanese Telco Far EasTone, Acer has landed sales agreements with numerous other carriers, such as Hong Kong's CSL, France's SFR and Bouygues, and Italy's Wind. Acer is rumored to be teaming up with a telecom carrier in the United States next year, but nothing official has been announced yet.

Meanwhile, rival Dell is said to be working on an AT&T-backed Android-powered smartphone.