Dell’s new Mini 3i touchscreen phone was revealed on Monday in China. The new phone features 3.5-inch screen with 640 x 360 resolution, 3.2 megapixel camera, 2G-network support, mini USB port and microSD card slot. There is no physical keyboard, WiFi or 3G support. The Mini 3i is based on China Mobile’s oPhone platform, which is basically their version of Android operating system. The UI on the phone looks like a direct rip-off from the iPhone and the external design reminds you of Palm Pre.

After the phone was revealed, Dell said that Mini 3i was just “a proof of concept” and not an official announcement. SlashGear reported that Dell’s spokesperson Matt Parretta said, “The Only thing that we’re confirming is that we’re in product with China Mobile… We were there as a development partner for the oPhone platform.” Another Dell’s representative added, “It wasn’t officially, formally introduced so much as it was waved around.”

It’s a good thing that Dell hasn’t officially announced the phone yet, because most columnists aren’t impressed with Mini 3i. Ian Paul of PC World writes, “I’m not sure how this device relates to earlier attempts by Dell to enter the smartphone market, but judging by the Mini3i’s specs, it’s not hard to see why U.S. carriers have so far been unimpressed with Dell’s mobile device efforts.”

No word yet on when Dell will officially launch the device, but it’s very like that the launch will be China only.