Tablet PC Dell Streak 7 Review

Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 1:26 pm

With its 7-inch screen, the Dell Streak 7 is one of the tiniest tablet PCs available. Some people may find this a drawback, but its size gives it ultimate portability. It also has some great specs including powerful processor, 4G, and to top it all off it has a relatively low price. How does it measure up to other Android tablets on the market?

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Dell Streak 7 Key Specs

* Price: $298 – $450
* Released: 2011
* OS: Google Android 2.2
* Size: 7.87 x 4.72 x 0.49 inches
* Weight: 1 lb. / 0.45 kg
* Screen size: 7 inch
* Resolution: 800 x 480
* Storage: 16GB (up to 32GB additional)
* NVidia Tegra 2 Dual 1 GHz processor
* Wi-Fi/ 4G & Bluetooth connectivity
* Two cameras: 5 MP & 1 MP
* Battery life: Unknown – testing suggests around 3.5 – 4 hours

Good points about the Dell Streak 7

SD Card Memory Expansion Slot: While the Dell Streak 7 only has 16gb onboard storage, you can expand this by a maximum of 32gb as there is an included SD card slot. The slot also supports other formats, including Micro SD, and is particularly useful for people who want to move photographs (because SD cards are more common in digital cameras.)

Looks: On looking at the tablet, the first impression is always going to be that it’s noticeably smaller than most other tablets on the market. This means that the screen is also smaller. The tablet has been designed to be as portable as possible and it certainly lives up to that. The screen quality is good (though small) with good color reproduction. Viewing angle is not as forgiving as other tablets, probably due to the smaller screen size. The screen is of Gorilla Glass to protect against scratches. The tablet feels pretty solid and well-built, while still being light in the hand.

Connectivity: This is where the Dell Streak 7 leaps ahead of the pack. It can connect to 4G networks as well as the usual 3D networks and WiFi hotspots. Its only rival for this at the time of writing is the Motorola Xoom.

This new 4G broadband is only just opening up now. Right now it’s available to about a third of people in the US, and the network is constantly growing. 4G gives a great connection speed, to the point where you’ll be able to download full movies while connected to 4G, and of course it also means less buffering and juddering when listening to streaming music on the move, too. As with any 3G or 4G technology, you will need to pay for a monthly data plan to make use of it, but if you need constant connectivity with a robust download speed, this could outweigh the additional cost.

Camera: The rear camera is an impressive 5MP, putting it near the top of the class for tablet cameras. It also has some good features like flash, auto focus, multi-shot mode and more. It will also shoot video in HD. The camera on the front is fine for video chats.

USB Port: nice to see this useful feature on a tablet this size. The USB post means easy connection to your PC or a mass storage device such as a flash drive or external hard drive. You can also easily connect an external keyboard, making it easier to type.

Cost: If you can accept the trade off in terms of screen size and storage space, the Dell Streak 7 is very affordable, starting at around the $300 mark. The version with 4G is currently around $450 – much less expensive than the 3G version of the iPad (which doesn’t even have a 4G option.) This makes it a great choice for anyone who’s looking for a well-priced tablet that still has good processing power.

Bad points about the Dell Streak 7

Operating System: The Dell Streak 7 runs Android 2.2 OS. The latest version of Android is 3.0, and the Streak doesn’t have the capability to be upgraded. Android 2.2 wasn’t designed for tablets (it was built for smartphones) and this may make the user experience less smooth than with something like apple’s iOS. You will still get access to the Android Market, which has a wide range of apps, but the most up to date apps may not run on Android 2.2.

Battery: Dell have been very cagey about revealing battery time for this tablet, and there’s a good reason for that – the battery life is poor. 3.5 to 4 hours is all you’re going to get – less than half of what you could expect from the Samsung Galaxy or the iPad 2. This makes the tablet not such a great choice if you’re on the move a lot without access to a charging point.

User Experience: The touchscreen works smoothly, but the on-screen keyboard is something of a pain. Due to the small screen size, the keyboard feels very cramped and can be hard to hit the right keys. You’ll want to type in landscape mode to have any hope of typing efficiently. Of course, you could also look for an external keyboard which can be attached through the USB port.

Conclusion

The Dell Streak 7 is a good tablet with an excellent price tag. The cost point alone will help it tempt some buyers away from Apple, Samsung and the like. However, the poor battery life will turn a like number of people off.

In summation, the Dell Streak 7 has a good quality screen, good features, a fast processor, and is very lightweight and thus portable. But you do need to consider the battery issues, the small screen size and the version of Android, before making your decision on whether this is the right tablet PC for you.