Round Rock, Texas – Dell plans
summertime availability in the U.S. of its Android-based Streak, which it calls
a tablet because of its large 5-inch screen but can be used like any Android-based
smartphones to make cellular voice calls.
The device, formerly called the Mini5,
operates on 3G W-CDMA HSDPA cellular networks, but the company hasn’t said
whether the device incorporates the frequency bands for the AT&T or
T-Mobile networks in the U.S.
In the United Kingdom, the device rolls out in
early June through stores operated by carrier O2 and Carphone Warehouse,
followed later in the month by Dell-direct online sales. Pricing wasn’t
announced, nor were details of U.S. distribution.
The Streak features a 5-inch multitouch
capacitive touchscreen, compared with the maximum 4- and 4.3-inch touchscreens
appearing on other smartphones, including Sprint’s planned 4G HTC Evo with
4.3-inch screen.
The device, said Dell
communications group president Ron Garriques, “hits the sweet spot between traditional
smartphones and larger-screen tablets.” The Streak’s “unique size provides people
new ways to enjoy, connect and navigate their lives,” he claimed. With
Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a company statement added, Streak combines
the “basic functionality, performance, and benefits of a laptop in a pocket-friendly
size.”
Key features include Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, Web browser and a Google navigation app to turn the device into a
connected portable navigation device (PND).
Other features include email and
instant messaging, as well as integrated apps for Twitter, Facebook and
YouTube. It also has two cameras. One is a VGA front-facing camera that could
be used for video calls or video chats. A separate 5-megapixel camera with dual
LED flash can take pictures that can be uploaded to social-media sites and
Flickr.
The device also comes with 2GB of embedded
memory and a MicroSD card slot supporting an addition 32GB of memory. The
battery is removable.
Via over-the-air upgrades later in the year,
Dell will add the 2.2 version of the Android OS along with Adobe Flash 10.1 and
video-chat applications, the company said.
The handset supports HSDPA
download speeds up to a theoretical 7.2Mbps.
