Remember, back in the day? No, that didn’t come out right.
Remember when the only option for an Android tablet was a 5-inch, well-built, but slightly out of place phone/tablet first called the Dell Mini 5, then renamed to the Streak? Yes, I’ve reviewed it back in August – been there, done that. But Dell was kind enough (or just desperate) to get the Streak a meaningful place in the world, so they slapped Android 2.2 on it, and outed the Streak 7 as well. This may not be part of the abyss of reviews one might see for the newer and cooler, Streak 7, but it shares the same interface in a smaller package, so please continue.
The Hardware Is The Same
When I reviewed the Streak last year, it was pretty cool. Then I reviewed the Galaxy Tab, a better alternative (hint: take the Galaxy Tab every time). Hit up this link for the full review of the Streak when it had Android 1.6. Scratch that, I don’t want you to leave this post, so continue reading, then go to the review and get a full analysis of the hardware. That way, you can keep me company in this post longer. Perfect.
This Is Solid Android 2.2 — With A Strange UI Layer
You can agree with me and Matt from Giz on this one — the Dell Stage UI is a mess. The Streak 5 does a fine job of taking care of Flash, despite all its imperfections on Android. The Stage UI on its own is not suitable for much other than making a fool out of itself and its lackluster owner. Coming from an unusual position, I’d rather take the old Android 1.6 UI and paste it over the Stage one — oh wait. You can already do that Dell, by not using Stage at all, and leaving Android in its very decent state. Go figure.
Check out the video below (available in 1080p HD) of some Stage UI action on a Streak 5.
Android 2.2 is a notable improvement for the Streak, but it doesn’t bring much good, except a newer operating system version of Android, which is good, but glazed with a sour UI coating.
