Coming to T-Mobile as their first 4G tablet, Dell is set to launch its foray into the 7-inch tablet market with the Dell Streak 7. Packed with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual core processor and a 7-inch 800×480 Gorilla Glass touch screen. Is it poised to take on the Tab? Check out the full review.

Hardware / Design

The hardware design for the Streak 7 is vastly improved from the Streak 5. I was one of Dell’s harshest critics of the Streak 5 as the back battery panel came to easily detached from the device.

Like the Tab the back of the Streak 7 is a solid non-removable panel. The back also contains a small diamond texture design similar to the texture feel Dell has been putting on more of their consumer notebooks.

One of the things that stands out the most with the design of the hardware is that it appears to be designed with landscape mode in mind as the major way the product will be used.   From the camera positions, to the power and volume buttons and most noticeably the orientation of the side buttons.

The design of the Streak 7 is much like the design of the Streak 5 where the sides of the device, if you are holding it landscape, have a slight curve. On the top of the device there are only two buttons, off and one and volume up and down. The Home, Menu and Back buttons are on the front. One thing that is noticeable is the absence of the search button so commonly found on other Android hardware. This could mean Dell intends to make the move to Honeycomb quickly where search is integrated more into the core operating system, or it could just frustrate users.

There are two speakers on the Streak 7 on both ends of the device, which gives it a true stereo experience with applications that use audio. In comparison the Tab has two speakers but they are both at the bottom of the device.

The tablet itself is 7.9 x 4.7 x 0.5 and weighs 1lb compared to the Tab which is 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.5 inches and 13.4 ounces.  In this side by side comparison you can see the Streak 7 is slightly longer.

Software and Performance

The Streak 7 comes loaded Android version 2.2. The only additional software Dell has pre-loaded on to the device is their own Dell Stage widgets which consist of a contacts, email, gallery, home, music, social and web widgets.

I did find the Streak 7 to be a bit more snappy than the Tab. Going in and out of applications, browsing apps from the menu and even browsing the web. Overall I found the speed performance to be better than the Tab.

Further from a performance standpoint the Streak scored a 1918 on Quadrant where the Tab scored a 980.

Even though Tegra 2 is a dual core processor, Android version 2.2 is multi-threaded however there is room for improvement.  Along those lines not all applications are multi-threaded as well. So the full power of the Streak 7 and the Tegra will not be unleashed until either Gingerbread or Honeycomb are made available on the Streak 7.

4G

The Streak 7 is T-Mobile’s first 4G tablet.   In many areas of the Bay Area where I live I got strong 4G signals and tested speeds in the 2.5 to 3.5 mb range of download speed. In full 4G areas web pages loaded quickly and more importantly when I was out and about using things like maps or other location based services applications.

Camera and Multimedia

Since NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor is capable of 1080p capture I was excited to test the video capabilities for both playback and capture. For 1080p video playback the Streak 7 performed admirably. The video played back flawlessly without skipping and with smooth frames. Capture however was a different story all together as 720P was the highest resolution option capable to capture video.

Graphics and games looked incredibly fantastic.   I expected this as Tegra 2 coming from NVIDIA with their deep graphics expertise.   I was able to play a few pre-release Tegra optimized games that NVIDIA provided me.   One was a Tegra optimized version of Dungeon Defenders and the other was Galaxy On Fire 2.   Games in particular shined on the Streak 7 and when it came to fluid and rich graphical gameplay it was much better than the Tab.

Here are some photos I took of my goats with the camera.

Battery

The battery life on the Streak 7 has to be my biggest complaint. Over the weekend I took it with me on a day trip to Berkeley and after a full nights charge it was dead by 5 PM. The next day faired a little better but just barely made it through a day.

The culprit is the Streak 7 only has a 2780 mAh battery while the Tab has a 4000 mAh battery. The bottom line is expect more frequent charging if you plan on heavy usage.

Wrap up

Having used the Tab for over a month and now after using the Streak for five days, the performance advantages of the Streak 7 give it the edge in my opinion.   The Streak 7 will perform and in some cases outperform other tablets in the 7′ inch range with its capabilities as a rich multimedia device largely thanks to NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 super chip.

The battery life is my biggest complaint with the Streak 7 and in terms of battery life the Tab is a better option.

I want to see how the Streak 7 performs when either Gingerbread or Honeycomb become available as an update.   From things like multi-threaded support, more tablet centric OS and speed / performance gains all things that will add value to not only tablets in general but the Streak 7 as well.

Relevant Entries on SlashGear

• Dell Streak available unlocked in UK
• Dell Streak gets “Superboot” rooted
• Dell Streak $550 price posted then pulled
• AT&T Dell Streak due Monday July 19th?
• US Dell Streak on sale July 28th [Update: pre-sale is back]

T-Mobile USA has confirmed pricing and availability for the Dell Streak 7, the carrier’s first 4G tablet. The Streak 7 will be priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement and following a $50 mail-in rebate when it hits stores from February 2 2011. Opt for the Dell contract-free and it will cost you $449.99.

That gets you a 7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, 4G HSPA+ connectivity, NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor and a pair of cameras for photography and video calls. There’s also Gorilla Glass up front and both WiFi and Bluetooth.

Previous rumors had suggested that the Streak 7 could be as much as $330 with a new agreement, a price that T-Mobile quickly denied. More information here and at T-Mobile’s sign-up page.

[via Android Community]

Relevant Entries on SlashGear

• Dell Streak available unlocked in UK
• Dell Streak 7 pricing leak an incorrect “technical error” says T-Mobile USA
• T-Mobile sneaks Dell Streak 7 mention onto site
• T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 tipped at $330 by fine-print
• Dell Streak $550 price posted then pulled

Cutting through the back and forth surrounding Windows Phone 7 tethering are two new hacks, with one being markedly easier than the other to implement. After discovering the option in Samsung’s Focus and Omnia 7 late last year, engineering minds over at xda-developers have now uncovered a method to allow USB internet tethering on HTC’s smattering of Windows Phone 7 handsets. Unfortunately, you’ll need to unlock your device before any of this will work, but the case is definitely different for Dell’s Venue Pro. For that one, you’ll simply need to modify the .INF file — no unlock required. Hit the links below for the devilish details, and try not to set up a P2P farm using your phone’s 3G connection. We hear carriers are none too fond of that foolhardiness.

[Thanks, Lake]

Hack brings USB tethering to HTC Windows Phone 7 devices, Dell Venue Pro originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Odds are you’ll have your first chance at Honeycomb with Motorola’s Xoom next month, but LG’s G-Slate for T-Mobile — which might very well be 3D-enabled — shouldn’t be too far behind. New intel coming out of TmoNews today pegs the G-Slate for a March 23rd launch with an unknown price tag, preceded by the Dell Streak 7 on February 2nd (which is being billed as the carrier’s “first 4G tablet” thanks to its HSPA+ support) at $299.99 on contract after rebate. Turning to non-tablet news, the Galaxy S 4G — which you might recall is basically a Vibrant remixed with HSPA+ — looks line up for February 23rd. In other words, it’s going to be a busy, wallet-emptying couple months for you T-Mobile types… so save up while you can.

T-Mobile releases: Streak 7 and Galaxy S 4G in February, G-Slate in late March? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK carrier Three has announced that, as of February, it will be offering the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible hybrid netbook/tablet. Based on Intel’s dual-core 1.5GHz Atom N550 with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive, the Windows 7 based Inspiron Duo has a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen that can rotate in its bezel to face forward, for regular notebook use, or outward, to be used as a tablet.

As we found, though, the extra weight and bulk of the rest of the netbook – including a reasonable keyboard – does remove some of the mobility friendliness of the Inspiron Duo. We’re presuming Three will be offering a 3G-enabled version of the hybrid, though it’s unclear whether that means an integrated modem or an external one (either USB or mobile hotspot).

No word on pricing or specific launch dates at this stage, though we’re assuming it won’t be long before we hear more. More details on the Dell Inspiron Duo in our hands-on report.

Dell Inspiron Duo hands-on:

Relevant Entries on SlashGear

• Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook on sale November 23?
• Dell Inspiron Duo twisting net-slate gets new video demos
• Dell redesigns inpiron line, adds new colors to the mix
• Dell Inspiron 546 desktop revealed
• Dell Inspiron Mini 10 720p screen option available

Yes, it’s the Dell Venue, and no, you still can’t buy one outside Hong Kong or South Korea just yet. All we can speculate is that this Android phone is facing the same manufacturing issues as its WP7 cousin, but hopefully we’re wrong. Anyhow, what matters is that we’ve finally gotten our hands on a retail unit of the Snapdragon-packing Venue. So is it worth the wait for Androiders distanced from the Far East? And will this handset be the answer for our love-hate relationship with the Streak? Head on right past the break to find out.

Continue reading Dell Venue review

Dell Venue review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile USA has poured cold water onto rumors of price leaks for the upcoming Dell Streak 7, which had been guesstimated at $330 after what appeared to be Equipment Installment plan information was spotted at the bottom of the 7-inch tablet’s information page. According to the carrier, that information “is the result of a technical error and is incorrect.”

Unfortunately they won’t say what the accurate figures actually are, only that the official numbers will be shared in the “near future.” Launched at CES 2011 earlier this month, the Streak 7 has a WVGA capacitive touchscreen, NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and support for T-Mobile USA’s HSPA+ network.

[via Android Community]

Pricing for Dell’s upcoming Streak 7 tablet may have been prematurely posted, with T-Mobile USA apparently giving details of its Equipment Installment plan for the 7-inch slate. According to the Dell Streak 7 product page, as spotted by Streak Smart, the tablet will be available as a “$82.50 down payment, plus 3 monthly payments of $82.50, required”; that would work out to $330.

There’s no mention of the Equipment Installment plan – which breaks the on-contract price down into four interest-free payments – on the Streak 7′s page itself, but the wording is identical to other products currently available through the carrier. It’s worth noting that this would still require you to take out an agreement with T-Mobile, since it’s just a way to spread the upfront subsidized cost of the Streak 7, not the price of a SIM-free version.

More on the Tegra 2 powered Dell Streak 7 here.

[via Android Community]

Sandwiched rather tightly between Sprint on the 7th and HP / Palm on the 9th, Dell just sent out an email blast that it’s planning an event out in the City by the Bay for the 8th of next month. Hard to say whether this’ll be tablets or just buttoned-up laptops and PCs, though, because the graphics starts out with “Dell Means Business” and goes on to say that they’ll be showing off “a new generation of business computing solutions.” Needless to say, we’ll be there to find out.

Dell ‘means business,’ schedules San Francisco event for February 8th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This time last year the Dell Adamo crazy thin and sexy notebook computer saw its price slip to under $1000 for the first time. The exact price in January 2010 was $999. Dell has cut the price of the Adamo 13 to $799 this year making it $500 cheaper than the MacBook Air does it targets.

The Adamo has an aluminum skin and targets the user that like the svelte profile of the MacBook Air in 13-inch guise starting at $1299. The Dell machine is a bit heavier than the Mac offering, but they are very close.

Inside the Adamo at the new low price is an Intel GS45 GPU and uses a 128GB SSD for data storage. The machine gets a Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor at 1.4GHz, 2GB of RAM, and runs Windows Home Premium. The 13.4-inch screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768. Options include 802.11n WiFi card, 3G modem, and Bluetooth.