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Dell Streak: portability, power in your pocket

by Jason Salas

Guam - In all my years of working with, writing applications for, and reviewing tech gadgets, I've yet to run into a digital device that I wasn't immediately able to plug into a categorical classification of some sort. Until now. And with the Dell Streak, that might be a good thing.

Sporting a 5" display, is it a big smartphone or a small tablet? (Decide for yourself in this side-by-side comparison next to my Nexus One.)

But one thing that's undeniable is the portability and connectivity the device puts comfortably into your pocket. Using Google's Android operating system, you get full web access and access to tons of applications for work, research or play.

First, the form factor. While the dimensions of the Streak make it usable with only one hand, it's deliciously ironic how the design grabs you. The physics of the device are reminiscent of a first-generation Playstation Portable, with the screen slightly larger. The home screen holds tons of application shortcuts and widgets, although inexplicably this is the only place where portrait mode isn't supported.

Without question, the Streak's redeeming qualities lie in multimedia. The twin 5MP cameras (front-facing in addition to the standard rear-facing fare) take brilliant images. The 720p recorder captures video that's crystal-clear and looks breathtaking upon playback. The display is bright and colors are deep and rich, with the pixels coming alive. The display isn't AMOLED, but looks great outside in direct sunlight.

The screen perfectly renders maps, augmented reality services and games - performing especially well running Angry Birds as the litmus test. (We do enjoy our work.) And Dell's packed enough top-shelf apps with the Streak right out of the box to keep you occupied - and productive - for days, including Dropbox, Evernote and numerous news, weather and sports services.

As for connectivity, networking is easy, hooking-up to DOCOMO's 3.5G Max voice/data network and associated content services with only a couple of taps. The Streak's GPS is also slightly more accurate in reporting your geolocation than other devices I've used, so that's a plus. I only experienced sporadic issues with the Wi-Fi chip leaving my WLAN and re-homing for new networks. As for OS, the Streak curiously ships with Android OS 1.6, but is upgradable to 2.2 "Froyo" so you get the latest Googly goodness like moving apps and data to your SD card, data tethering and full support for Flash.

The battery life is also phenomenal, with a single full charge lasting over two days under heavy data use and backlighting. You'll get some serious mileage out of this bad boy, trust me.  

On that note, the Streak also proved its durability, as we tested (both accidentally and deliberately), dropping the tablet from a fairly high altitude, relatively speaking, as well as placing the device in immediate proximity of a pretty powerful magnet. It never skipped a beat.

So whether you're a first-time smartphone shopper or a tenured member of the digerati looking to augment your quill with a good, inexpensive tablet, the Dell Streak is for you. Check out DOCOMO Pacific to see one for yourself. It's available now for $399 with a 2-year contract with a voice/data plan, or $499 with just data.