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Dell Streak 7: Is it really as disappointing as reviews claim?
Daniel Carey
Over the past couple of days I’ve had the chance to read several notable Dell Streak 7 reviews floating around the net. And while originally I’d had high hopes for Dell’s plucky 7-inch slate, my opinion is now beginning to acutely falter. Originally making our top 5 Android tablets list, we (mostly myself), thought Dell’s latest tablet offering would hit all the right buttons sans a decent display that is. Alas, it appears that I’ve been proven wrong. But just what exactly is wrong with the tablet?
What’s Wrong With It?
The most notable issue — one that has been discussed in every single review I’ve read — is without a doubt the Streak’s lowly display. Clocking in at a mere 800 x 480 pixels, the Streak offers little in pixel density on such a large display. I’m sorry, but 800 x 480 pixels, that’s what most expect on a 3.7 to 4.3-inch Android smartphone (not to mention there are several handsets smaller than that on the market with higher resolution displays). When you scale a resolution that low on a device that’s about the same height as a paperback book nothing is going to look right. As Matt Miller of the Mobile Gadgeteer stated, when you scale something this drastically “fonts are pixelated and things overall look cheap.”
The prospect of a tablet device running a Tegra 2 chipset was generally exciting, with two 1GHz cores its most definitely a good choice for low intensive computing, reading, and playing mobile games. However, I’m not really sure why Dell chose to use a Tegra 2 in lieu of their poor display choice. With a chip as powerful as NVIDIA’s it makes no sense to choose sub-standard parts, its designed to run higher resolution displays.
It Does Some Stuff Right, But Not Much
While an idiotic choice of display still prompts question, the Streak 7 does act in a snappy manner thanks in part to Android 2.2 and the Tegra 2. Performance wise, Joanna Stern of Engadget, noted that the Streak 7 scored substantially better than the Samsung Galaxy Tab — the Streak scored 35 megaflops on Linpack to the Tab’s lower 14 megaflops.
Unfortunately while great performance may be in order, battery life has been immensely hindered. Once again noting Engadet’s review, they managed to achieve the greatest battery life, lasting a measly 3 hours 26 minutes. In comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lasts for around 6+ hours, where as Apple’s iPad bests that again lasting for 9+ hours.
Kevin C. Tofel of GigaOm stated that he’d seen “the battery indicator drop by 10 percent in as little as 30 minutes.” Sorry, but a sub-par display, a battery that lasts as long as some 3-cell laptop batteries, why did Dell even bother? We’ve seen what they can do when they put their best foot forward, and while I know that isn’t achievable with every product they release, a mid to high end tablet should surely perform better.
On a positive note, the Streak is currently the first 4G tablet available on the market. Making use of T-Mobile’s speedy HSPA+ network, Laptopmag.com noted an “average download speed of 1.62Mbps and an upload speed of 1.11Mbps.” Besting both download and upload speeds of the T-Mobile Galaxy Tab, however, also noted by Laptopmag.com, Verizon’s Tab outperforms both T-Mobile tablets as far as download speeds are concerned.
As another plus, the Streak 7 comes equipped with free mobile WiFi tethering for as many as 5 devices. While mobile hotspot functionality isn’t as phantasmagorical as it once was, the added inclusion of free mobile tethering is certainly a nice touch on T-Mobile’s part.
Is It Ulimately Worth It?
Despite the Streak 7’s $199 price point on contract, I couldn’t justify recommending such a device to friends or family. With sub-standard battery life, a display that is outshone by several smartphones, and well, the aforementioned data contract, it just isn’t worth the hassle. You may feel differently, but as a consumer who knows exactly what he wants, Dell’s second tablet offering just isn’t for me.
What’s your opinion on the manner? Did you have high hopes to begin with much like myself, or were you pessimistic to begin with? Let us know in the comments below.
