The Dell Streak Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on August 15, 2010 6:59 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Dell
- Streak
- Gadgets
- Mobile
Final Words
Until we get foldable displays we’re going to see smartphone manufacturers experiment with larger screen sizes. While no one likes to carry around a giant phone, the benefits of a bigger screen are undeniable.
Browsing the full web is much more pleasant, especially on web sites that you have to interact with (e.g. logging in, filling out an order form, commenting, etc...). Typing on a large touchscreen can be a lot easier as well. Then theres’s the obvious advantage: viewing photos and videos is so much better on a larger screen.
From a screen and ergonomics standpoint, I believe Dell got it very right with the Streak. The phone/tablet is thin, looks good and is a pleasure to use in landscape mode. Sitting around with friends and showing them photos on the Streak is much better than on smaller smartphones. You get better picture quality on the iPhone 4, but it’s just easier to actually see things in a photo on the Streak.
The Streak’s battery life is great. It lasted me a full day of regular usage and the battery life test results put it close to the iPhone 4 in most situations, even besting the Droid X at times.
As a piece of hardware, I have no complaints about the Streak. The problems with the device are almost entirely in software. While the Streak has the potential to make web browsing, photo viewing or general productivity better than on a smaller phone, its horrid performance is a deal breaker for me. You can count how long it takes to snap photos in seconds, transitions between screens are choppy and even scrolling on webpages is slow. It’s not just irritating, it’s unacceptable for a high end smartphone released in 2010.
Launching with Android 1.6 was also a mistake. I suspect many of the performance problems to be solved by the 2.2 update later this year, but until then I view the Streak as untouchable.
Dell also needs to offer more customized versions of apps with the Streak to take advantage of the larger screen size. Dell doesn’t need to acquire a company like Palm to make this happen, it’s just a matter of dedicating resources to the problem. What makes or breaks something like the Streak is how well the hardware and software work together. Dell needs to do more to make the Streak feel like an iPad alternative/competitor and not just a large Android phone.
If Dell could've fixed the performance and done more to customize apps so they took advantage of the larger screen the Streak would’ve been a pocketable iPad. Unfortunately I don’t think the Froyo update will be enough to fix this. The UI needs to be butter smooth and Dell needs to invest more time into app customization. Gingerbread could bring what’s necessary, but that’s a 2011 discussion at this point.
HP/Palm? Your turn.
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randomlinh - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
Hey, thumbs up for actually acknowledging HPalm still exists, unlike HP themselves.. heh.The Streak looks like it could have been the ultimate media device. Something to replace the iPod touch. Some of use still like having dedicated devices that don't eat away at the battery life of their smartphones. Oh I miss the days of 3-4 days battery life of dumbphones.
swang1942 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
I don't think HP is ignoring Plam's existence, they are just laying low to cooking up something in their sleeve. As far as I know, HP is actively hiring mobile phone software and hardware engineers in Shanghai, China who are dedicated to Plam development. We shall wait and see what they can come up with.Rick83 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
The streak seems to be pretty much a clone of what Archos released back in October or so of last year. Form factor is pretty much identical. While the A5 is still stuck at Android 1.6 and doesn't have a built in 3g module (but can tether via bluetooth, for internet access), it does have an incredible media player and hardware acceleration so it will even play 720p HD via HDMI. It also features a dock system so cost of entry is low, customizability high, plus there's an official open firmware available so you can freely install alternative operating systems (but will lose access to some drm functions).So it's definitely the most direct competitor for the streak at this point, until its successor arrives this fall. Would be great to get a back to back review, especially now as most of the teething issues the device had due to its early launch are resolved.
vol7ron - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
This is the perfect form factor. I've been waiting for this much screen realestate. I'm not a kid anymore, so I don't care if a phone takes up my whole pant pocket - I don't mind a bulkier phone to put in my jacket pocket.If only it had the resolution of the iPhone, I am much more likely to watch a movie on a larger screen, than on a smaller one.
Sometimes I do my Insanity/P90X workouts off my phone too, this large screen size is going to be much better. -- still waiting for these smartphones to have pico projectors and louder speakers, though.
Souka - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
Streak?I hope it doesn't come in a color like brown! ;)
donzi7000 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
My Streak comes tomorrow. I consider myself an average user of a smartphone. I don't get too involved in which OS it has. I just want to be able to use the internet with ease and not take long to look up a webpage. I find all smartphones hard to use to browse the internet. I am hoping the Streaks larger size will allow me to leave my laptop at home. Having a locked phone doesn't matter to me at all. Aren't Iphones locked? When I get my hands on the Streak tomorrow I will find out if it works for my lifestyle or not. I don't care if Dell, Apple or Hasbro make a smartphone for me as long as it fits my needs.SirKronan - Thursday, August 19, 2010 - link
Enjoy your new streak! It looks like a really nice-big screen.I'm still waiting anxiously for Anand to review one of the Galaxy S variants!! Thanks for the good review on the Dell, though.
cameralogic - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
So Anand, just exactly how stupid would someone look if they held this big phone up to their head? I mean, is it big enough that one can expect snickers or gasps from the people at the next table when making a call? How 'bout a pic to illustrate the actual size of that thing in use?Perhaps a Streaker would be better off using bluetooth and keeping that whopper in their pocket...
donzi7000 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
How about growing some balls and stop worrying about what people think of you?user_x - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
In cameralogic's defense, some us us have and because of that enjoy getting laid from time to time. I for one would like to know if holding this "phone" to my head in public will render my balls useless for anything other than taking up space between my legs. I don't care how funny or charming you are, some things looks so absurd that just about everyone will mock you. I fear Dell is testing the outer limits here.