The Dell Streak 5 is an Android v2.2 tablet device with powerful mobility features which will benefit both business and personal users.
Aside from the usual features you may find in competitor devices, the Streak 5 boasts features such as 3G HSDPA, stand-alone GPS Assisted GPS, a digital compass, 5 megapixel camera, 720p video camera, Flash Player and a “Gorilla Glass” display. Furthermore because the Streak 5 is an Android based device, the amount of applications one can find in the Android Market (App Store) rivals that of Apples’ iTunes Store. It is rather astounding how developers have been able to harness the ability of Android based devices through the software they create. Most applications are free and are seamless to install.
My greatest gripe with cellphones, smartphones and tablets these days is the fact that the display screens often scratch when they are in a pocket or carry case. The “Gorilla Glass” display is therefore something I have taken a liking to. Further information on “Gorilla Glass” can be found on the internet. The multi-touch screen really impressed me and Dell has done some great work with the Android software to customize it to the Streak 5 hardware. Email integration was very easy and the setup took me less than a minute. I struggled somewhat to sync the device with my PC/laptop, which is a bit of a concern for “less technical” users.
There is nothing worse than having a phone/ tablet/ laptop running out of battery life halfway through the day. Considering that the device was permanently connected to my Wi-Fi, 3G account and Bluetooth hands free while driving, I found that the battery life was decent. I intentionally made use of data heavy apps which required constant connectivity to the internet so that I could ascertain what a heavy user can expect to get from the battery life.
In all honesty, I would be inclined to say that the Streak 5 is marginally too small to operate as a fully-fledged tablet such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Apple iPad. Fortunately the 5″ Streak has a bigger 7″ brother for those tablet purists. This leads me to argue that the Streak 5 is somewhat of a hybrid between a smartphone and tablet because the Streak 5 has full telephony capability much like any cellular phone. The ultra-thin form factor and general dimensions make the device small enough to carry in ones packet while enjoying the computing power and mobility benefits of a conventional tablet. Would I buy it? Only if price wasn’t an issue, but since price is an issue, I would rather buy the second generation Samsung Galaxy Tab which is in the same price range.
Pros
- Looks great
- Easy integration with email other accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Skype etc)
- Social media apps pre-installed
- “Gorilla Glass” display limits or stop scratching of the screen all together
- The Android v2.2 operating system is quick, responsive and easy to use
Cons
- Size does become an issue when viewing documents and browsing the internet
- I found the Wi-Fi lost signal easily on the unit I was using
- The price is rather inflated
Cost R6095 – R6839 for Dell Streak 5
The Dell Streak 5. Photo credit: Dell.com
