In Dell intends its 5-inch Streak to be the first of many tablets rolling out over the next several quarters. In a September presentation at Oracle OpenWorld, CEO Michael Dell offered a sneak peek at a 7-inch tablet, while indicating the market segment was in a state of constant change and evolution.That makes the Streak, which sells for $300 with a two-year AT&T contract or $550 unlocked, already something of an artifact. In a market as hot as tablets, any models relevancy will drop precipitously as months go onand the Streaks already been on store shelves since early August.
At 7.7 ounces, the Streak certainly feels hefty in comparison to 4.5 ounces for some Android smartphones. Weighed against the 3G-enabled Apple iPad at 1.6 pounds, of course, the Streak feels light. However, with a 5-inch multi-touch screen, the first impression is more This is a phone by Dell as opposed to This is a tablet.
However, Dell is replacing the Streaks Android 1.6 OS with an Android 2.2 (Froyo) update. This software refresh essentially makes the Streak a brand-new deviceespecially when you consider how much early criticism focused on the tablets antiquated operating system and bug-riddled features.
Although the Streak is intended as a hybrid between a tablet PC and smartphone, with the ability to make phone-calls, the company neglected to include a SIM card. That limited testing to the Streaks capabilities as a tablet, using WiFi.
Hardware
The mechanical buttons along the upper frame of the device (Camera, Power, Volume) felt small and sharp and metallic. In the first few hours with the device, I found myself repeatedly hitting the Power button when I meant to use the Camera, and vice-versa. On the Streaks front, the Back/Menu/Home buttons seemed nicely responsive to touch.
The screen is Gorilla Glass, and the Streak survived 3-foot and 5-foot drops onto a hardwood floor with no visible cracking, chipping or performance damage. As always, dropping your expensive mobile device is not recommended.
The touch-screen is responsive, with nary a need to jam a thumb into an icon in order to activate it. That being said, after months of staring at Samsungs Super AMOLED screens for both the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone line and the Galaxy Tab, as well as Apples high-resolution Retina Display, the Streaks screen came off as somewhat dim.
One of the Streaks prime advantages seems to be battery life. Over two days of moderate use on WiFi networkswhich included Web browsing, video, email, navigating, instant messaging, and picture takingthe device merely sipped power. Those who find themselves aggravated over plugging in their mobile devices by afternoon could find this a pleasant surprise. But the full picture of the Streaks battery life, alas, cant be offered thanks to the inability to test in 3G.
The Streaks 5.0-megapixel camera is pretty standard-issue for Android devices. In low-light conditions, the flash seemed short-range and weak. The Streaks size makes it slightly cumbersome as a camera, and the device often needed to be stabilized in both hands or against a flat surface in order to take a non-blurry shot. The camcorder was the bright spot here, shooting in 720p.
The Streak also offers a front-facing VGA camera. Unlike Apples iOS, with its comparatively easy access to the companys FaceTime video-conferencing application, Android users will likely need to wait until third-party developers start exploiting the hardware for their own video apps; at the moment, theres a decided lack of ways to use the front- and rear-facing cameras in combination.
Software
Dell seems to have trod lightly when it came to skinning Android 2.2. When you startup the device, youre presented with a default set of home screens, accessible by swiping: Home, Contacts, Email, Social, and Music. Your opinion of Dells aesthetic tweaks to these home screens, which involve icons enclosed in a stage-style design, may vary.
From the home screens, users can use the icons along the bottom to access the phone, browser, or applications screens. With its 1GHz Snapdragon processor, applications sped along with nary a stutter. The Streak also supports Adobe Flash 10.1, which remains a competitive differentiator for non-Apple tablets. Those who operate a Dell ecosystem will likely appreciate the ability to sync their multimedia and contacts with their PCs, while those with Google accounts will have the usual Android-enabled access to Gmail and messaging.
Early reviews of the Streak complained about user-interface bugs. During a weeks worth of testing, few of those quirks made themselves known, although the testing device froze for a few minutes on two occasions (with no running apps). Both times, it returned to life after a liberal and repeated smacking of all mechanical buttons.
For enterprise users, the default Streak offers Quickoffice, calendar, integrated GPS leveraging Google Maps for on-the-road navigation. Syncing Exchange with the Streak is an exercise in hair-tearing aggravation, not entirely unexpected given Android devices inconsistent record in that area. According to Dell, IT administrators will have the ability to manage passwords, remote wipe, and perform similar functions with their organizations Streaks.
The Streaks virtual keyboard was another positive experience. It includes Swype, for whose who want it. The keys seemed responsive and right-sized.
Conclusion
If youre in the market for an Android smartphone, the Streaks 5-inch screen and weighty form-factor might prove a bit too cumbersome for your needs. If you want a tablet, that same 5-inch screen may prove a bit too small in comparison to the Apple iPad or host of 7-inch tablets now hitting the market.
That being said, a subset of the tech-buying population will probably appreciate a smaller tablet, capable of being carried in one hand, which can also make phone calls. For those users, the Streak offers a solid, and fairly standard-issue, Android 2.2 experience. Lack of a SIM card made it difficult to test the full capabilities here. Your own mileage may vary.nt a tablet, that same 5-inch screen may prove a bit too small in comparison to the Apple iPad or host of 7-inch tablets now hitting the market.
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