According to a report in The Taiwan Economic News, Palm has placed an order for 5 million Windows Mobile smartphones intended for sale in 2009.  The report doesn’t detail the device(s) Palm ordered, but the handsets will run the Windows Mobile operating system and be built by Taiwanese manufacturer Compal.

Compal is an ODM, or Original Device Manufacturer, best known for their design and construction of laptops for Dell and HP and handsets for Motorola.  The same report indicated that Motorola has ordered a number of Windows Mobile phones from Compal as well.