Tablets seem to have intruded our lives to a great extent and we could not resist grabbing the splendid Dell Streak which made a graceful appearance in our review labs just recently. Apple launched its iPad last year in January and since then has made its significant charisma felt in the segment. Seeing the soaring popularity of the iPad, many PC makers such as Dell and HP carved out iPad-like tablets. If you’re looking for a tablet and don’t desire an iPad, then Android is the way to go. The Samsung Galaxy Tab strengthened the Android platform and indeed paved a path for other Android-powered tablets. The Android operating system is presently dominating the smartphone market and we won’t be amazed if someday it will lead the tablet segment too. The Dell Streak has been designed to access various entertainment applications, fulfill professional needs and seamlessly connect with friends and family. Let’s see if a 5-incher with voice functionality could allure mobile enthusiasts.
The device packed in a charger/USB cord, earphones with two replaceable earplugs, 16GB card and warranty booklets. The Streak also wrapped together a smooth luscious cover and we could protect it against bumps and unnecessary damages while commuting. On opening the box, we spotted the coveted tablet dressed in an elegant black shade and tucked in a protective case. On removing the Dell Streak tablet from the box, we were delighted to see how the company has meticulously crafted the device with precise curved edges. Without any doubt, the tablet flaunts an attractive appearance but we feel that it bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone.
Perfect for those with a taste for sophistication, the device is light to carry and sturdy to hold as it weighs around 220gms and sizes up to 152.9mm x 79.1mm x 10mm. The wide 5-inch scratch-resistant Gorilla display kept us hooked for a while. Moving on, the tablet’s bottommost area comes equipped with capacitive touch buttons mainly assigned to Return, Menu and Home functions. The extreme left edge houses a port to seamlessly connect the device to a PC whereas the right edge sports volume controls and a dedicated camera button. On the flipside, the tablet flaunts its 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus.
The battery flap is neatly entrenched with the Dell logo and could be easily removed without any difficulty. The lower portion of the back flap covers the speaker grill partially. We removed the battery flap and noticed the battery, SIM card slot and microSD card slot. Switching on the tablet was indeed not a difficult task as the right side includes a power on/off button. We were directly presented with the option of setting up our Google account and a free tutorial of Swype. Personalizing the device was fun as it comes with six homescreens. The main menu extends to over two pages with different engaging applications. The lock/unlock slider also functions as a sound on/off controller.
The Android interface was indeed remarkable and the call, menu pull up and browser buttons are accurately positioned in the lower area. The Staged UI distributes its capabilities accordingly to seven home pages with huge widgets like Contacts, Email, Gallery, Home, Music, Social and Web. The pull down menu for notifications appears in the upper left area of the screen. The overall touch experience was good with the smooth surface, enabling us to conveniently glide our fingertips without any glitches and enjoy excellent control. The responsiveness was great with minimal undesired time lag during continuous movements. Long pressing a contact presented us with interesting, handy options such as view, call message and more. The Swype tutorial was a treat and we are definite that this feature will gratify many.
Typing on the virtual keypad can be frustrating, but the Streak engaged us with a tactile and highly responsive experience. Adding frequently used words in the user dictionary, selecting from a wide array of language options or using text-to-speech was not at all tedious. The incoming and outgoing call clarity was satisfactory and we feel that the company could have worked better on this function. Nevertheless, we did not have issues with the network reception. The offering lacks clear audibility, making it quite inconvenient to listen to calls while hitting the road or even when in a crowded place.
Syncing the device was just so uncomplicated and we were happy to see different Wireless Settings. The Dell Streak functioned as an access point, and with the Portable Wi-Fi hotspot the browsing experience via our handset was incredible and did not face unnecessary interruptions. The pages loaded quickly and accurately, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor. The screen was sensitive enough and did not lose calibration easily. Besides these technical aspects, the entire look was good and web pages were displayed perfectly.
The tablet’s 5 megapixel camera features 4x optical zoom for vibrant and detailed images. We put the camera to use and captured few photos which were quite good. The interface of this application was easy-to-use and simplifies the overall experience with a thick bar on the extreme right with various shortcuts to the album gallery, option to swap between photo and video modes and a dedicated capture button. You can definitely complement your passion for photography and easily set the brightness and contrast, select the save location as well as modify the white balance and flash to accommodate your different requirements.
Listening to music has always been considered a great way to reduce stress. With various audio-enabled devices available in the market, you can listen to your most like music collection with enhanced sound quality. Disappointingly, the audio experience was just not what we expected form this device. The audio quality deteriorated when we placed the tablet on the table and we assume that the speakers were incorrectly placed. To our surprise, the included earphones compensated for the poor audio performance and put forth music with utmost clarity. The navigation app is a great inclusion and quickly highlighted our desired locations on the vibrant screen. The tablet comes integrated with a standard Li-ion 1530mAh battery and different battery saving modes. It functioned efficiently for a complete day on a single charge.
Pros:
The tablet’s interface is convenient to use with neatly placed buttons.
The screen size is incredibly huge which proffered a good viewing experience.
Cons:
The company should have focused on the overall audio performance.
The interface feels sluggish at times and takes time to swap between landscape and portrait modes.
The battery life is weak enough to call for a considerable improvement.
Verdict:
To wrap it up, by offering contemporary features in a stylish design, this chic gizmo flaunts a fine balance between features and performance. For those who want an elegant gadget which sports advanced voice capabilities and features that are usually found in a tablet, Dell’s Streak is definitely a good bet. The Android 2.2 operating system functioned efficiently. Flipping through the menu and web pages, typing messages, reading documents and watching videos were just so effortless. The tablet carries a hefty price tag of Rs. 34,990. It manages to get a good rating of 9 out of 10 from us.