Update: read a newer version of this Hands on: Dell Streak review.
Dell's Streak has a UK release date of 4 June - that's this Friday. So we popped along to see Dell and have a good play with the new device, which sits somewhere between a smartphone and a tablet. We also snapped some video, which you can see below and on the next page.
Available exclusively on O2 and through the Carphone Warehouse, the 5-inch tablet cum phone has caused a bit of a stir since it was first shown during Dell's off-site event at this year's CES.
The Streak will be free on a £25 a month contract if you take up mobile broadband and free on a £35 a month contract with voice and (unlimited) data. Alternatively, you can shell out £429 for it on its own.
Yeah, £429. Recognise that price point from somewhere?
As you can see, the handset (should we call it that?) is pretty thin at around 10mm thick, and is approximately 80 x 150mm in size. Although it does voice, you'd certainly look a bit of an idiot walking along talking into the device and Dell will be offering a Bluetooth headset to go with it.
The Streak will certainly appeal to those who like the iPhone or an Android handset but want something bigger - but not an iPad. Dell is clearly hoping to fill a gap between iPad-alike devices and the smartphones we already have. Some are calling the Streak a slate, but we wouldn't quite go that far - it's simply a bigger-screened smartphone.
Dell has certainly gone off it's normal Windows track with the Streak, which runs Android 1.6. And how! Although we were playing around with a pre-production sample, the interface is as snappy as an iPad's - even if we couldn't always say be as complementary about the three traditional Android buttons on the side of the screen - back, menu and home.
Notice there's also a front-facing camera for video conferencing. When you go into the camera to take an image, you can use the menu button to flip between the front and back cameras.
The interface of the Streak we used will differ from the shipping version - there is currently a little extra Dell software supplied with Android 1.6, notably the Twitter and Facebook widgets shown in the picture below. Certainly there's no major Sense UI-esque overlay trowelled on top.
The large screen will certainly make a great sat nav and there's full compatibility with Google Maps Navigation and the Android Market.
The Streak is certainly a smart-looking device, if not ground-breaking in terms of looks. And although it might look a little plasticky from our pictures, it certainly doesn't feel like it.
The unit is sturdy, as is the screen. Indeed, the display is super-tough. The glass is Gorilla Glass - an extremely robust thin sheet glass. Want to see how robust? Check out our little video here:
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