Dell Streak 7: what you need to know

Dell Streak 7: what you need to know
We're excited about the Streak. If 7" is too little, a 10.1" version is coming too

Good news for fans of the Dell Streak range: in addition to the 5-inch model there's a seven-inch Streak 7 and on the horizon, a 10.1" Dell Streak 10.

The Dell Streak 7 isn't just a Dell Streak 5 with a slightly bigger screen, though: there are some interesting changes under the hood too.

Here's what you need to know…

The Dell Streak 7 specifications are pretty impressive

The Dell Streak 7 tablet gets a dual-core Nvidia Tegra and 3G mobile broadband together with the usual GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The 800x480 screen is behind a sheet of ultra-tough Gorilla Glass, there are front and back cameras and there's 16GB or 32GB of internal storage with support for SD, MMC and SDHC cards. The front camera is a 1.3MP fixed focus job and the rear one is a 5MP with auto-focus and flash.

There will be two Dell Streak 7 models

Dell's spec sheets [http://www.dell.com/us/p/mobile-streak-7/pd] indicate that there will be 3G and non-3G versions of the Dell Streak 7, noting that "SMS & MMS [are] on 3G models only".

The Dell Streak 7 software is Android 2.2

Software-wise the Dell Streak 7 is already looking a bit dated: where rivals are shipping with Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread, or hanging on for the Android 3.0 Honeycomb release, Dell is sticking with Android 2.2, or Froyo.

If you're thinking, "isn't that the version Google says isn't great for tablets?" you'd be right. It'll be interesting to see whether Dell's own Dell Stage software makes up for the comparatively old Android OS underneath.

The Dell Streak 7 software will be upgradeable

The Dell Streak 7 specifications make it clear that while the installed software will be Android 2.2, the Streak will have "over the air upgrade capability" - so you'll be able to move to a newer version of the OS.

The Dell Streak 7 UK release date should be summer 2011

TMONews has found T-Mobile marketing materials suggesting a 2 February US release date for the Dell Streak 7, but the UK release date hasn't been announced (or leaked) yet. As with most tablets, we'd expect a UK release within a few months of the US version.

The Dell Streak 7 price probably isn't $330

There was much excitement recently when the same TMONews post quoted the Dell Streak 7 price as one payment of $82.50 and three monthly payments of $82.50, or $330 in total. T-Mobile has since contacted the site to say that isn't the price: the figures are the result of "a technical error".

For the smaller 5" model, the UK Dell Streak price starts at £399 - so we'd expect the Dell Streak 7 price to be somewhere in the middle between that and the £600-odd people are currently paying for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Carrie Marshall
Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.

Latest in Tablets
Google Pixel Tablet in hazel on green background with don't miss sign
The Google Pixel Tablet just dropped back to its lowest-ever Black Friday price
The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro on a bronze table
I tested the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro and it's the closest Android fans can get to an iPad Pro alternative
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus on a desk showing the rear of the device from above
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE could be a powerful iPad Air rival, based on the latest specs rumors
Hello from the XPPen Magic Note Pad
The XPPen Magic Note Pad is the drawing tablet-maker's first digital writing tablet and after just two weeks, I can't do without it
MacBook Air M4
Apple's rumored foldable iPad tipped to launch sooner than expected with an exciting software twist
iPad Air M3 11-inch and 13-inch on an orange background next to TechRadar deals price cut badge
Wait, what? The brand-new iPad Air just launched and it's already on sale on Amazon
Latest in News
Samsung Galaxy S25 from the front
The Now Bar on Samsung One UI 7 is about to get a lot more useful – and could soon match Live Activities on iOS
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals will get two new hero skins for Moon Knight and Black Panther this week meaning I'll now need to farm even more Units
Netflix Ads
Netflix adds HDR10+ support – great news for Samsung TV owners, but don't expect LG and Sony to do the same any time soon
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 in a room with lots of dark wood furniture and a bare brick wall
Klipsch just updated two of its most iconic stereo speaker designs, keeping these beautiful retro icons on your most-wanted list
FiiO FX17 IEMs
Our favorite budget audiophile brand unveils wired earbuds with 26(!) drivers, electrostatic units, USB-C ultra-Hi-Res Audio, and a not-so-budget price
Nvidia RTX 5080 against a yellow TechRadar background
RTX 5080 24GB version teased by MSI - is it time to admit that 16GB isn't enough for 4K?