X

Dell Streak, hands-on (photos)

CNET's Donald Bell puts the Dell Streak Android tablet through its paces and offers some real-world photos of his observations.

Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Donald Bell
IMG_4699.JPG
1 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Apple's ad campaign for the iPad invariably features people propping the tablet up on their crossed legs. The Dell Streak doesn't need your lap. With a 5-inch screen and a design that's less than 0.5 inch thick, the Streak just feels like a touch screen smart phone that ate more than its share o Wheaties.
IMG_4701.JPG
2 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Android's default map app leverages the Streak's GPS capabilities to quickly locate you on a map. The Streak we tested ran Android 1.6 and lack pinch zoom capabilities or turn-by-turn directions, but otherwise worked very well.
IMG_4704.JPG
3 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Unlike Android tablet attempts we've seen from other manufacturers, such as Archos, the Streak uses Google's official app store, with unfiltered access to thousands of excellent free and paid apps.
IMG_4710.JPG
4 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
The free Pandora radio app for Android didn't know what to do with all the extra screen real estate on the Streak, but it worked without a hitch.
IMG_4713.JPG
5 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
The status bar at the top of the Streak monitors incoming emails, currently running apps, battery life, reception for cellular and Wi-Fi, and more.
IMG_4715.JPG
6 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
A tap in the upper left corner of the Streak reveals a spacious drawer full of all your apps. Apps can be rearranged and brought to any of the four main menu pages for easy access.
IMG_4716.JPG
7 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Location-aware apps, such as Yelp, had no problem serving us personalized content, thanks to the Streak's integrated GPS capabilities.
IMG_4720.JPG
8 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
The upper left corner of the Dell Streak includes a front-facing VGA resolution camera and an ambient light sensor that can adjust screen brightness automatically. The light sensor is not active by default, making it difficult to view the screen outdoors.
IMG_4721.JPG
9 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
The right side of the Dell Streak includes a strip of touch controls for navigating back, menu options, and home. A small microphone is located below the home button which can be used for making voice calls.
IMG_4722.JPG
10 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
A 5 megapixel camera is included on the back of the Dell Streak, along with an integrated flash.
IMG_4723.JPG
11 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
The top edge of the Streak includes hard buttons for power and camera.
IMG_4725.JPG
12 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Also included on the top edge of the Streak is a volume rocker switch and headphone jack. A standard pair of earbuds come included, which offer an in-line remote control and microphone.
IMG_4726.JPG
13 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Using the integrated microphone, headset microphone, or connected Bluetooth headset, users can take advantage of Google's voice search capabilities. Voice search can be used for many purposes, such as dialing contacts, or searching for nearby restaurants.
IMG_4736.JPG
14 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
When camera mode is activated, the Streak can be used to shoot video or still images from either the front or rear-facing camera. Settings for image quality, white balance, etc., can be found running along the strip on the right, while recently taken photos are visible on the left.
IMG_4740.JPG
15 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
By default the Streak's screen brightness is set below halfway and auto-brightness adjustment is not enabled. The result is a screen that can be very difficult to see outdoors. In this photo, I'm trying to take a picture, but have no idea what the camera is seeing.
IMG_4742.JPG
16 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
After finding the automatic backlight setting and switching it on, the screen's outdoor visibility is improved, but still not as good as switching it off and manually craning the screen brightness to its maximum setting.
IMG_4744.JPG
17 of 17 Donald Bell/CNET
Using the Streak as a two-way video phone is possible, using free voice and video calling apps such as Fring. Tank tops are entirely optional.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos