AT&T Dell Streak Review

Dell has been surprisingly absent from the smartphone industry for some time now.  With the exception of the Mini 3i in China, the third largest PC maker in the world has been unusually quiet; until now that is.  The Dell Streak marks a dramatic re-entry into a market which has exploded over the last four years.  Following the lead of Motorola after the success of their original Droid, Dell is poised to make a resurgence of their own.  However, after spending a week with the phone, we’re concerned that the marketing push and unique hardware and software behind this spectacular device will relegate it to niche status.

Any smartphone launching in the second half of 2010 is expected to possess a certain set of hardware.  In that regard, Dell pulled out all the stops.  The Streak has the now standard 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, a 5MP auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash, a front facing VGA  camera for video chat (more on this later),  2GB of built-in storage combined with a MicroSD slot capable of 32GB, and the pièce de résistance a 5” 800 x 480 pixel LCD screen made with super-strong Gorilla Glass.  On paper that is not only a mouthful but more than enough to challenge the range of new Samsung Galaxy S phones and Motorola’s Droid X for Android supremacy.

Hardware

We weren’t able to get a hold of the official retail packaging so we can’t give you any details about how it will look when the phone officially goes on sale.  However, we can tell you that inside the box you’ll get a carrying pouch, a USB to 30-pin connector cable for syncing and power, a USB power adapter, a nice wired headset with built-in microphone, and a 16GB MicroSD card which brings the phones total storage to 18GB right out of the box.  We were very disappointed to see Dell fall back on a proprietary connector instead of the Micro-USB which has become the industry norm over the last year or two.  The only upside is that we’ll soon see Dell release a dock accessory which will allow 720p video out to an HDTV like the HTC Evo 4G.  Across the bottom (or right of the phone in landscape) are three touch sensitive buttons for back, menu, and home.  Pressing and holding the home button brings up a screen to access the six home screens and ten most recent applications.

The Dell Streak was marketed in Europe as a MID (Mobile Internet Device) and not a phone for good reason; it’s really big. In fact, big doesn’t quite describe how tall and wide this phone is.  We’ve included some pictures alongside the HTC HD2, iPhone 4, and Palm Pre to help show you just how massive this phone is.  In fact, we can guarantee that no matter how AT&T and Dell market this device in the U.S., there are going to be a lot of people who dismiss it out of hand (no pun intended) because of its size.  There is some good news though, for those willing to try one out in person you’ll find that because Dell engineered it slightly thinner than the iPhone 3GS it will fit very comfortably in a standard pair of men’s jeans or slacks.  Women and men wearing women’s jeans (we’re looking at you skaters in Denver, CO) will need to find somewhere else to hold their phone such as a purse, murse, or jacket pocket.

Dell occupies a unique position in the market with the release of the Streak since it dwarfs its nearest competitor (the recently launched 4.3” Motorola Droid X on Verizon) in size.  The Streak is a full inch taller and half and inch wider than the Droid X while still managing to be only 9.9mm thin.  The biggest issue brought about by the size of the Streak is that while holding the phone in portrait (like any normal cell phone), it can be very difficult to reach all the onscreen elements as well as the touch sensitive buttons on the bottom without readjusting your hand.  That issue isn’t unique to the Dell Streak, however, as some Droid X users have discovered since their purchase.  In fact, the only 4.3” phones with a small enough bezel for this not to become a problem are the HTC HD2 and Evo 4G which in total size aren’t much larger than an iPhone.

Another point of contention is the plastic bezel surrounding the display.  While the screen is made of ultra durable Gorilla Glass (which we have yet to scratch with keys or spare change stored in the same pocket), the plastic bezel is easily damaged.  Worse yet, the black plastic shows those scratches easily both indoors and out, giving the otherwise classy device a battered appearance with little use.  The decision to go with such easily scratchable plastic is an odd one by Dell considering the non-slip aluminum like backing across the entire rear of the phone is both durable and attractive.  During our week of testing, we were never worried that the phone might slip and fall in either one or two-handed use.  Speaking of which, in this build of its software, Dell has made the curious choice of only displaying the six home screens in landscape.  This can make operation of the phone a bit tricky as most Android applications are easier to navigate in portrait mode.

Lastly, Dell really scored a home run with this screen.  Easily viewable outdoors, the 5” LCD has been wonderful for watching movies and displaying picture slide shows.  In a stroke of brilliance, Dell has also made one very important change which we’ll cover in more detail in the software section below.  Whereas the Motorola Droid X (854 x 480) and HTC Evo 4G (800 x 480) display essentially the same amount of information on screen, the Dell Streak was designed with a little bit of special sauce allowing for much more information to be seen at a glance.  We’ve included some screenshots from the Kindle app on the Streak, Nexus One, and iPhone 4 to show you just how big a difference this makes.  All screenshots were taken with the medium font setting selected in order to avoid comparing apples to oranges.

This brings us back to another weakness of the Dell Streak which should have been a strength; the virtual keyboard.  The benefit of having ever larger smartphone screens is that each increase in size brings with it a more comfortable virtual keyboard.  Unfortunately, Dell reversed that trend when designing the on-screen keyboard for the Streak.  It features far too many buttons (including a full 10-key) which makes each individual key too hard to tap in landscape and downright frustrating to use in portrait.  Thankfully there are plenty of alternate keyboards in the Android Market from which to choose.  We’ve had wonderful success with the Swype beta and found that typing with it on the Dell Streak is much easier than the default keyboards on the iPhone 4, or HTC Evo 4G.

Camera

Like most modern smartphone cameras, the 5MP sensor on the Dell Streak produces some mixed results.  Outdoor and macro shots turned out fantastic with very accurate colors and little noise.  On the other hand, indoor pictures under low light were lacking in detail and while the dual LED flashes performed well for close in shots, they underperformed at any kind of distance.  Video was passable when streamed from the native Qik app, but will not replace a dedicated Flip or other video camera.  On a related note, we found that under the default settings the shutter was glacially slow when taking pictures.  This resulted in blurry non-action shots even outside in good lighting.  Our solution was to change the camera “mode” to sport. After that, even indoor pictures in lower light were mostly blur-free.

Sample Pictures

Sample Videos

The Dell-designed camera application is sparse, but very effective.  There are on-screen controls for shutter speed, flash control, and two-touch uploads to Facebook, Flickr or Twitter, just like the default Android camera.  What’s nice are the quick access controls for multi-shots, easy switching to the front-facing camera for self portraits, and a two stage hardware camera button which lets you focus with a half press and take a picture with a full press just like a normal point and shoot.  About the only thing lacking is the touch to focus option from newer versions of Android which we expect to see in the OTA update Dell is planning for the fall.  On the video side, we would love to see a 720p option for recording as this sensor is capable of delivering it.  Currently the quality maxes out at 640 x 480 (DVD quality) in either H.263 or MPEG 4.

All that said, shutter lag wasn’t terrible once the mode was changed to sport and the camera loaded in 2 to 3 seconds after pressing either the dedicated camera button or the on screen shortcut. Autofocus was also quick and never seemed to struggle with which object should be in focus for the shot.

Software

At a glance the heavily skinned Android 1.6 on the Dell Streak doesn’t look terribly different from the average Google-powered handset released in 2010.  However, you only need to tap on the screen to see the differences immediately.  Gone is the pull down notification bar of stock Android. Dell has replaced it with a segmented bar to better take advantage of the screen real estate.  Tapping the arrow in the top left brings down a customizable quick launcher which you can fill with 7 apps. Once activated, you can also scroll a list of all the applications installed on your phone.  Tapping the carrier name will give you a list of your ten most recently launched applications as well as quick access to each of your six available home screens.  The middle space on the bar is your notifications list, and to the right of that is a drop down menu for your connectivity options including shortcuts to turn Wi-Fi on and off.  The date and time are not a drop-down at all and are hidden when you use any application in portrait.

Overall, we really like what Dell has built on top of Android.  They included a custom dialer in addition to the heavy camera and home screen changes.  We do wish that they would allow the home screens to be changed to portrait as it can become a chore constantly switching back and forth between portrait and landscape.  We also disliked the included Facebook and Twitter apps.  They are essentially dumb widget lists of social networking updates and offer no functionality over the many free alternatives in the Android Market.  One change we really liked was the addition of Dell designed Outlook Tasks and Notes applications.  They sync via USB only but are a wonderful addition to the phone for business users who rely on Outlook to get things done.  We synced with Outlook 2010 with no problems.

Also bundled is a trial of Touchdown to connect to an Exchange Server and a copy of Nuance Voice Control for dialing by voice.  We didn’t test Touchdown because our company uses Google Apps (which integrates wonderfully with Android) but the voice control software worked just as expected.

Outside of the near useless Twitter and Facebook widgets supplied by Dell, they did include a nice power management and RSS reader widget which do enhance the device.  Still, we would have much preferred it if Dell had spent less time on the widgets and more time getting at least Android 2.1 on this device.  Though their custom software puts the Streak leaps and bounds ahead of other phones stuck on 1.6, this device could benefit greatly from the enhances in FroYo.

We would be remiss if we didn’t discuss an odd software bug which arose in our testing.  While we appear to have the shipping version of the software, we are unable to scroll some lists in portrait.  For example, while searching for apps in the Android Market if the device is in portrait you’ll only be able to see 10 apps, but if you rotate into landscape you’ll get the near infinite scrolling list of programs you’d expect.  We hope this minor niggle is corrected before the official launch.

This brings us to our last comment about the software, or glaring lack thereof.  If you haven’t guessed by now we’re talking about video chat.  Unlike the Evo 4G on Sprint (which uses a special version of Qik), there is no app provided to use the front facing video camera  for calls or chat.  Very briefly at the beginning of our review process we were able to use Fring over 3G to call our friends using Skype on their computer.  It worked well and we were really looking forward to testing it with other Streak, iPhone 4, or Evo 4G owners.  Unfortunately for everyone, Skype and Fring had a major meltdown recently and the result is that there is no application to take advantage of the Streak’s front facing VGA camera.  We hope either Skype or another party remedies this situation soon or businesses and consumers will have one more reason not to purchase this otherwise fascinating phone.

Performance and battery life

The 1GHz Snapdragon has been a great performer since debuting last year and in the Dell Streak you’ll see very little lag.  Moving from one home screen to another feels a little jerky, but that may have something to do with the customizations Dell has made on top of Android.  Moving from app to app is very snappy and we never felt like we had to wait long for screen taps to register.  That said, we would love to see the Android speed improvements which come with 2.2 on this phone sooner rather than later.

Under moderate usage (a couple hours of web browsing, some music and video playback as well as an hour or two of actual talking), we had no problem lasting a full work day with the included 1530 mAh battery.  Like all Android phones, the battery is easily swappable so you aren’t stuck with one battery if you’re a real power user.  On a recent trip we did need an afternoon top off to make it through the day but that was with 4-5 hours of Google Maps use with GPS on.  As a side note, the screen real estate is put to fantastic use with Google Maps.

Wrap-up

In the search to build the largest smartphone possible, Dell has either created the perfect compromise between a phone and a tablet, or they are about to spectacularly fail.  Honestly, we can’t really tell which way this pendulum will swing.  On our first day with the Dell Streak we couldn’t imagine using this behemoth as our daily phone.  We make a lot of phone calls, browse the tech news hourly and rely on our smartphones almost exclusively for email, Twitter, and Facebook.  At first glance, the Dell Streak just looks too big to be productive.  However, after more than a week with the device we’ve come to rely on it for some things we initially thought would be better on a laptop or a device like the iPad.  For instance, instead of reaching for something larger to read our morning news with a cup of coffee we instinctively began reaching for the Streak.  We even prefer reading eBooks on the Streak over iBooks or the Kindle app on the iPad.  It’s just a much more portable device which is surprisingly easy to hold and fun to use.

Unfortunately for Dell and AT&T, the Streak cannot be judged in a vacuum.  Unlike the iPhone 4, there is no 720p video recording and no software to make use of the front facing camera.  Unlike the HTC Evo 4G there is no HDMI out on the phone itself, you’ll need an as yet unreleased dock accessory to hook it up with an HDTV or projector.  And then there’s the size.  While we adjusted to it over a week’s time, we can’t honestly think that customers will believe it’s pocketable when they can’t even hold it free from those giant metal tethers in an AT&T store display.  In the end, the Streak is a wonderful device which may just find itself too different and too misunderstood to become a success for Dell.

iPhone 4 Announced

There’s no denying that when Apple makes a new product launch the world listens, and today is no different.  They’ve renamed their mobile operating system from iPhone OS 4 to iOS 4 and brought some much needed changes along for the ride.  Like Windows Mobile, iOS 4 lets you create folders to organize your applications and get rid of the dozens of pages of shortcuts which some users accumulate.  Like the newest Android smartphones iOS 4 now lets you shoot video in 720p high definitionm make video calls and includes fast switching between multiple email accounts.  And similar to HP/Palm’s WebOS there is now support for multiple Exchange Accounts  (you know who you are business people) and a unified email inbox so you don’t have to switch accounts at all.  We’re not going to go into the entire list of changes so feel free to click the picture above and check out full coverage of the WWDC Event and iPhone 4 over at Engadget.

Android finally comes to AT&T: Meet the Google Nexus One

Previously available only on T-Mobile in the United States the Nexus One made its debut on AT&T this morning.  The only other smartphone running Google’s Android Operating System on the nation’s fastest network is the Motorola Backflip which saw the default search engine changed from Google to Yahoo, confusing a lot of people in the process.  Price wise the Nexus One is sold unlocked from Google at www.google.com/phone for $529, whereas the Motorola Backflip can be purchased on contract with AT&T for $99.99.  For most people the price of an unlocked phone is exorbitant,  but for some of our small and medium business clients adopting the Nexus One in conjunction with other Google services can save their business thousands of dollars per year.  Next up to receive the Nexus One unlocked is Verizon in the United States later this spring.

There’s an App Store for that!

Back when a Smartphone was just a PDA and your cell phone was a new thing (the ancient 1990′s), loading third party applications to make your device more fun or productive could be dangerous.  You never knew if you’d create the perfect storm by installing different programs and turn your prized piece of “geekery” into a paperweight.  Thankfully that’s no longer the case.  Every Smartphone operating system on the market right now either has a highly successful app store, or is planning on launching before the end of 2009.  So no matter if you prefer the iPhone, or are totally smitten with Android, there IS an app store for you.

App Store (Apple) – Over 1.5 billion applications downloaded in only one year, with over 65,000 available.  Very impressive.

App Catalog (Palm) – Only a few dozen application available so far, but with more in the works the future looks good for the Pre.

Android Market (Google) – With dozens of new phones launching over the next year, keep your eyes on Android.

Ovi Store (Nokia) – One of the oldest and most popular Smartphone operating systems worldwide.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile (Microsoft) – Still the main competitor from Blackberry in the corporate world; will launch this fall.

Blackberry App World (RIM) – Always popular among heavy email and text users; available in 10 new countries by the end of July.

Do you need a smartphone?

CNET has an article today asking just that question, do you really need that smartphone? They make their case by justifiably pointing out that in order to get the most from your new device, a data plan is required.  Depending on your carrier, this can range anywhere from $25 to $50 per month.  When compared to the $10 or $15 per month that the same phone carriers charge for a feature phone data plan, it seems like a no-brainer to spend less.  Right?  Wrong.  All four major cell phone companies charge more than $150 for their top of the line feature phones, and if you go that route, your options for customization and adding applications are severely limited.  Whether your needs are best suited by a Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, or Android Smartphone, you aren’t stuck with the same default applications for the life of your phone.  It becomes your smartphone, instead of the cookie cutter experience you get from a feature phone.  On top of that, with a smartphone you can realize up to an extra hour of productivity every day when compared to your peers.  And they can be downright fun to use.

Amazon.com joins the smartphone revolution

Today Amazon announced a new wireless store with the aim to make shopping for a new phone easier and less confusing.  Here at TechMinds, we think it has been a long time coming.  Not only is the shopping experience at Best Buy or AT&T and Verizon Stores confusing, but you never really know if the information you’re getting is accurate.  To make matters worse, the in store price is sometimes hundreds of dollars different than what you can find online.  That confusion over features and price is one of the main reasons we exist as a business.  It’s certainly amazing what can be done on a Smartphone today, but if you get the wrong one based off of bad information from a sales person on 100% commission, then it may as well be an expensive paperweight.

Keep your smartphone battery happy

Have you noticed that your battery isn’t lasting as long as it used to?  You’re not doing anything wrong, and your battery probably isn’t on the way out.  Over time, it’s natural for Lithium-Ion batteries to lose charge, sometimes as much as 3% per month.  You may not notice that kind of decrease immediately, but you certainly will over the course of six months.  The good thing for all of us is that the solution is easy, and you can do it yourself in just three simple steps.

1) Let your phone discharge completely. This means letting the battery run down t the point where the phone turns itself off.  Don’t worry, you won’t be doing this often enough to damage the phone.  Just two or three times a year should suffice.  Think of this as an oil change for your Smartphone.

2) Plug into the wall charger. Don’t turn the phone on, and avoid using your USB cable to charge (it’ll just take too long).  The reason for leaving your Smartphone off is so that when it’s completely charged, your battery meter will be as close to 100% accurate as possible.  We recommend doing this overnight so you know it’s fully charged by the time you get to step 3.

3) Unplug from the charger and turn it on! That’s it.  When your Smartphone boots back up it’ll be registering a much more accurate battery level for months to come.

Here are some tips to keep your battery in tip-top shape.

• Try not to let the battery drop to 0% unless you’re recalibrating using the method above.
• Even if you think your battery will last another day, it’s better to charge more often to increase its lifespan.
• Discharge levels double for every 18°F increase in ambient temperature, so don’t leave your phone in your car!