Dell Hops on Tablet Bandwagon with Android-Based Streak

Dell Inc. announced Tuesday that it will be entering the tablet market with the Streak, an Android-based handheld device with a 5” display. The company plans to launch the device in June in the UK, with a later, unspecified launch in the U.S. market. The device includes WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3G connectivity, for which O2 will provide connectivity.

The Streak made an appearance in March in the guise of leaked photos to Engadget and Wired. Images released today by Dell differ slightly (see below), and the company’s announcement makes Streak official.

The device is being built around a 1GHz Snapdragon ARM processor, and will include a 5 megapixel camera. Dell is touting Flash support under Android 2.2, but that won’t be available until “later this year.”

Dell Streak

The Dell Streak

“The Dell Streak hits the sweet spot between traditional smartphones and larger-screen tablets,” Ron Garriques, president of Dell’s Communication Solutions Group, said in a statement, echoing Apple’s own initial description of the iPad.

Initial sales will be handled by O2, The Carphone Warehouse, and later in June through Dell’s own UK site. The company has not yet announced pricing for either Streak or the accompanying data plans.

Key Features, according to Dell:

  • Integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views
  • A full screen browsing experience with a 5-inch capacitive multi-touch WVGA display
  • Easily integrated social media apps: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
  • High resolution 5 MP camera, VGA front facing camera, removable battery, built-in Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity options
  • 2GB* of internal dedicated storage provides plenty of space to access and download Google Android Market’s many options
  • Packaged with cushions made from 100 percent sustainable, compostable bamboo

Specifications:

  • Android platform complete with Android Market and Dell user interface enhancements
  • ARM-based Processor: Qualcomm’s powerful and efficient Snapdragon chipset and software platform with integrated 1GHz processor
  • 3G + WiFi + Bluetooth
  • UMTS / GPRS / EDGE class 12 GSM radio with link speeds of up to HSDPA 7.2 Mbps1 / HSDPA
  • 5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash. Easy point, shoot, and uploads to YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and more
  • User accessible Micro SD expandable memory available up to 32 GB2. Store up to 42 movies2 or 32,000 photos2, or 16,000 songs2 with 32GB* Micro SD