Dell Streak: What You Need to Know

The Dell Streak is a tablet that's often confused with a smartphone due to its size, but it's actually a 5-inch Android tablet. It was released in 2010.

The Dell Streak runs on Android 1.6, which is an older version of the operating system. This means it may not be compatible with some modern apps.

The tablet has a 5-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. That's a decent screen size for watching videos or browsing the web.

It weighs in at 225 grams, making it a relatively lightweight device that's easy to carry around.

Related reading: Comparison of Android Go Products

The Dell Streak's display is a multi-touch LCD screen with a 5-inch screen size and a resolution of 800x480 pixels, resulting in a density of 186 dpi. This is lower than the iPhone 4's 330 dpi, but still allows for clear letter display and focused content.

The display brightness is also noteworthy, with a maximum brightness of 291 cd/m in the center display area, decreasing to 245 cd/m towards the edges, resulting in an illumination of 84.2%. This is comparable to Apple's iPad.

The Streak's compact size makes it easy to position for optimal picture quality, but the reflective surface of the "Gorilla Glass" can cause irritating reflections in unfavorable viewing angles.

Consider reading: Amoled Display

The Streak's design is quite different from other phones I've used. The first thing you'll notice is its size, which can feel a bit awkward to hold at first.

After a couple of days, you'll get used to the Streak's shape and it won't feel as foreign to hold. The matte finish on the main chassis makes it resistant to fingerprints.

It's a two-handed device, meaning you'll often need to hold it with both hands to perform tasks. Dialing, however, can still be done one-handed if you can swipe to the phone app quickly.

The non-glossy finish also helps prevent the Streak from slipping out of your hand, giving you a bit more peace of mind.

The display on the Dell Streak is a multi-touch LCD screen with a 5-inch screen size and a resolution of 800x480 pixels, resulting in a density of 186 dpi. This is slightly lower than some of its competitors, such as the Galaxy Tab from Samsung, which has a resolution of 170 dpi.

The iPhone 4, on the other hand, has a much higher resolution of 960x640 pixels on a 3.5-inch display, giving it a density of an impressive 330 dpi. This means that the iPhone can display websites and text in a remarkably clear and focused way, even when zoomed out.

The Dell Streak's display brightness is measured at 291 cd/m in the center area, decreasing to 245 cd/m towards the edges. This results in an illumination of 84.2% and an average brightness of 264.3 cd/m, making it comparable to the iPad.

However, the display can become too dark in outdoor use, especially when the ambient light dims and the automatic brightness control kicks in. To avoid this issue, you can disable the automatic brightness control.

The display also suffers from reflections, particularly when viewed from unfavorable angles. However, the compact size of the Streak makes it easy to position it for optimal viewing.

A different take: Samsung Galaxy A6 / A6+

The Dell Streak's processor is a Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon, which is also used in smartphones and small computer systems. This chip is based on an ARM CPU and can decode 720p HD videos.

The Snapdragon processor has a clock rate of 1 GHz and is manufactured in a 65nm process. It's found in devices like HTC's Desire and Google's Nexus One smartphone.

The Dell Streak's performance is sufficient for undemanding web surfing, but it can be sluggish at times. You might notice occasional slight jitter while navigating and scrolling on websites.

The device's multitasking capability is a great feature of the Android platform, but it can also be a problem if you don't close applications properly. This can impair the system's efficiency and make it difficult to clean up in the background.

Transferring large data packages on the Streak can be a challenge. It took around 35 minutes to transfer a 2GB package of MP3 music files.

On a similar theme: Mobile Processor

Here are the key specs of the Dell Streak:

The Dell Streak's video performance is decent, but it can be improved with the right player application. The preinstalled player had trouble rendering Xvid files, but Rockplayer worked well with various formats.

The camera on the Dell Streak takes pretty good pictures, but they're not spectacular.

Pictures taken with the Streak are a bit sharper and have a larger resolution compared to the iPhone.

The video quality on the iPhone is a bit better than the Streak, with less choppy playback and higher resolution.

Videos taken with the Streak can be a bit pixilated and have a lower frame rate, making them appear choppy.

Consider reading: Iphone X S Dual Sim

The Dell Streak has a capacitive touchscreen display, which responds to touch gestures and allows for intuitive navigation.

This means you can tap, swipe, and pinch your way through the device with ease.

The Dell Streak's battery life is quite impressive, considering its size. It can last from 7am to 10pm with heavy 3G/WiFi usage, leaving you with around 8% battery life.

You can expect the battery to drain faster if you're using the device for video rendering or gaming, but it's still manageable. For instance, rendering an .avi video drained the battery in 240 minutes, or about 4 hours.

In standby mode with disabled wireless modules and display, the battery can last up to 230 hours, which is equivalent to more than 9 days. This is ideal for those who want to conserve battery life.

Practical use, however, is a different story. The Dell Streak lived for about 365 minutes in WLAN surf mode, which is more than 6 hours. This is a great option for those who want to stay connected on the go.

Here's a breakdown of the battery runtimes in different scenarios:

Charging the battery is also relatively quick, taking around 1 hour and 10 minutes to go from 5% to 100%.

The Dell Streak's software and features are a significant part of its appeal. It runs on Android OS v1.6 (Donut) with a nicely customized homescreen.

The device has a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, which provides a smooth and responsive user experience. This is especially noticeable when navigating through the phone's interface.

One of the standout features of the Dell Streak is its 5" 16M-color TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with WVGA (800 x 480) pixel resolution. This provides a clear and vibrant display.

The phone also comes with a 512 MB of RAM, 2GB internal storage, and a microSD slot with a 16GB card included in the package. This is great for storing music, videos, and other files.

The Dell Streak has a 5 MP autofocus camera with smile detection and geotagging, making it perfect for capturing memories on the go. It also has VGA video recording at 30fps, which can be upgraded to 720p after a software update.

The phone also supports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, GPS with A-GPS, and Digital compass, making it easy to stay connected and navigate through unfamiliar areas.

Here are some of the key features of the Dell Streak's software and features:

The Dell Streak comes with a variety of accessories to get you started. The box contains a Dell Streak tablet itself.

You'll also find a soft fabric pouch with a draw string to protect your device when not in use. This is a thoughtful addition that will keep your Streak safe from scratches and damage.

A headset with three sizes of ear buds is also included. This is perfect for hands-free calls or listening to music while on the go.

The USB charger is a convenient feature that comes with both UK and EU plug adapters. This means you can charge your Streak in different countries without needing to purchase separate adapters.

A USB sync cable with a plastic clip is also provided to neatly wrap the cable. This makes it easy to store the cable when not in use.

The box also includes a multilingual startup guide and other paperwork to help you get familiar with your new device.

In addition to these accessories, the box contains a 1530 mAh battery and a battery cover to ensure your Streak stays powered up.

You'll also find a 16GB MicroSD card preinstalled, which provides ample storage space for your files and apps.

Here's a summary of what you can expect to find in the box:

The Dell Streak is a unique device that's often compared to the iPad, but it plays in a completely different league. It's more like an XXL smartphone, which is exactly how Dell describes it.

The Streak's mobility is one of its standout features, making it perfect for watching videos or surfing the internet on the go. Fans of social networks will appreciate its large screen, and it's great for enjoying your own music collection with a high-quality headphone.

The Android platform is innovative and consistently growing, but it's not yet on par with Apple's equivalent in terms of app selection and quality. An update to a more recent version of Android is planned, but there's no exact date yet.

Typing on the Streak can be a bit tricky, even with its large screen, and a slightly adapted virtual keyboard could make a big difference. The automatic position adjustment can be a bit finicky, and the jittering in video isn't ideal.

Despite these issues, the Streak makes for an excellent device for mobile entertainment and internet activities. It's not the best choice for a mobile phone, and its advantages are more suited for domestic environments.

The Dell Streak has its fair share of drawbacks. One of the main issues is that it's too large and heavy for a phone, and too small for a tablet. This makes it a bit of an identity crisis for the device.

The Streak also has a proprietary 30-pin connector for charging and USB connectivity, which can be a hassle. This means you'll need to use a specific type of cable and adapter, which can be inconvenient.

Another disappointment is the screen quality and sunlight legibility, which are not up to par. This can make it difficult to use the device in bright lighting conditions.

Unfortunately, the Streak is still stuck on Android 1.6 Donut, with no Eclair/Froyo update yet. This means you won't have access to some of the newer features and improvements.

Some other notable omissions include smart dialing, DivX and XviD video support, and Flash support in the web browser. You'll also miss out on an FM radio.

Lastly, the Homescreen only has landscape-only orientation, which can be limiting.