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WiFi-only Dell Streak 7 to Receive Honeycomb Update, 3G/4G Variant Being Left Behind with Android 2.2


honeycomb streak 7According to our pal Jenn over at StreakSmart, the WiFi-only version of the Dell Streak 7 is set to receive an official update to Honeycomb next month.

Details haven’t emerged yet, such as which specific version of Honeycomb will be used and whether or not it will be customized or left stock. Jenn says the the update is expected to greatly increase the battery life of the device.

This is great news for Streak 7 owners, but it only applies to the WiFi-only version of the device. Apparently T-Mobile’s 3G/4G variant, which StreakSmart points out was recently discontinued, may never receive the update.

An alternative option to acquire Honeycomb is a custom ROM which is an unofficial software release that can be installed to your device if you’ve got the skills necessary. Jenn has a link to that ROM on her original post, go check it out.

Are you a WiFi-only Streak 7 user who’s excited for the Honeycomb Upgrade? Or perhaps a T-Mobiler who’s angry that your device wont be updated? Let us know in our Streak 7 forum.

Openness and Stability — the Self-Administered Mobile Ecosystem


I love Android. Actually, on any given day of the week, I am probably in love with various mobile Operating Systems. Every once in a while, I even do a desperate Google-Bing deep-dive in an attempt to find a viable WindowsCE device. On those different days, I am likely to be most in love with the mobile OS that is aggravating me the least. Due to this dynamic, it gets a little unfair for the most popular OS in my current kits, because it gets more chances to irritate me due to the increased exposure.

Android comes with a decent set of cons for every pro that it carries. I love the suppleness of the software design, which allows developers to bend it to their will and deploy many different flavors of operability. The Android Market features many different riffs on common themes for apps, which allows you to find one that is tailored to your particular tastes. I think this effect is less prevalent in the Apple App Store, where I feel like once one developer figures out the hook that gets everyone on-board with their app, then we just see derivations of that common design. As a consequence, I run significantly fewer apps on my iOS devices than I do on my Android devices.

However, Android could be perceived as suffering from more instability due to the very openness that makes it so powerful and attractive. Instability in core apps that any Android user would be dependent upon has occurred. Add the multiple sources of apps that so many of us access, vice the one-stop source that the vast majority of iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry OS users go to, and the risk of instability increases. Users and the media go on-and-on about how Flash gives Android an advantage over iOS, yet it is one of the first things I disable on any desktop OS or mobile device. Besides the security vulnerabilities, I absolutely despise the performance hit that occurs whenever I go to a site that automatically  runs a heavy flash video that I have zero interest in seeing.

But then… maybe I am not the best Android user, because I am arguably a horrible system administrator. If things start to go bad, I do not have a lot of time to troubleshoot. My regular job, writing for the various tech sites, the dog, grad school…when something does not work, I am likely to just punt.

I have had to reset my Motorola Xoom to its factory defaults and start over for the first time this week, after about 3 months of use. Unfortunately, this is not the first Android device I have felt compelled to take this approach with. I have been using Android extensively for about 15 months. I have gone through about 7 devices so far. With each, there always seems to come the point where I install the one app too many. Or some setting that I configure injects a level of instability that just never recovers to an acceptable state, despite power cycling and soft resets. This happened numerous times on my Motorola Droid. I have felt compelled to wipe my Dell Streak 7 twice. I will admit that the original Archos 7 Home Tablet was a questionable product and perhaps I should not count its instability in my Android reset totals. Still, I had to perform a do-over several times in the brief time that I ran that device.

You may have been following my series on using the Acer Iconia A500 for business purposes. One thing that I am doing vastly different in that use-case is that I have installed a very specific set of apps, and I do not intend to add anymore. I also do not run any widgets on my homescreens, other than the Calendar Widget. It is vitaly important that I retain a robust level of stability on that device. When my business device goes down, I am severely hamstrung. That need for stability is in fact one of the reasons I went with a new Android device for this go-round, rather than try and use one that I was already running. Which brings me to why I cannot solely blame Android for my problems.

The truth is, I know what I need to do to stop some of this instability. I know that I need to stop deploying widgets across every homescreen as soon as I set up a device (see Ben’s article from last year on his feelings on widget-oriented OS’). I know that I need to establish a set of baseline apps, install them, run that configuration for a few weeks, and then add apps a few at a time. But I cannot help myself. On Android, I exhibit the same app junkie behavior that I chastise so many iOS users for. In that vein, I am a digital hypocrite. And for that reason, I sometimes wind up paying the price in running my little Android farm.

The good news is that a wipe and reset of an Android device is not has destructive as, say, doing the same on a Windows desktop system. In fact, in certain ways it is even fun. And backing up and syncing your apps to your Google ID makes restoring any Android device a snap. So, while self-administering devices that have a skosh less stability than some others incurs an additional burden, it is not yet at the level that I am considering reducing my Android entrenchment. Maybe one day; but not today.

How about everyone else out there? Do you find the need to do a total restore on your devices to reinvigorate them, or have you been happy from day one?

Dell Streak 7. First Reviews Available. Is It Worth $450?


dell-streak-7 $450 for a 3G-enabled (HSPA+ no less) 7 inch tablet on one of the fastest ARM-based processing platforms there is with hardened capacitive multitouch screen a 5mp auto-focus camera and Android 2.2 isn’t a bad price at all. It beats the Galaxy Tab on price and performance, that’s for sure. The only problem is that, as always, you have to look for the showstoppers. With the Dell Streak there a number to consider.

Battery life There are reports coming in from reviewers that the Dell Streak 7 isn’t making it though a day under normal (reviewer) usage.  Note that the battery is only 10Wh (The Galaxy Tab has a 15Wh battery)

Android 2.2 Android 2.3 is out and the Tablet-focused 3.0 is coming up soon. In fact, Android 3.0 is the first to be optimised for a multi-core processor so there’s a mis-match here.

Screen quality 800×480 is great for gaming, videos, navigation and many other functions but when it comes to reading, the lack of resolution is noticeable. Not only that but there are reports that the screen brightness isn’t as good.

On one hand, the Galaxy Tab can get a little sluggish so it would be nice to have something with more ooomph. On the other hand, it that means having to charge twice every 24 hrs, it’s not worth the bother in my opinion, even if it saves $50-$100

Maybe a Wifi-only version with a lower-price would be more interesting to people?

Check out all the reviews that are now listed in our tracking page which also includes a comparable products. We’re liking the look of that Eee Pad Memo right now!

Dell Streak 7 Review (Crunchgear) 01/02/11
Dell Streak 7 Review (ZDNet) 01/02/11
Dell Streak 7 Review (Slashgear) 01/02/11
Dell Streak 7 Review (JK On The Run) 01/02/11
Dell Streak 7 Review (Laptopmag) 01/02/11
Dell Streak 7 Review (Engadget) 01/02/11

Dell Streak 7 at CES. Hands On Overview Video


Dell Streak 7 (3)

Following the theme of ‘guess the unique selling point for the tablet’ it’s worth pointing out here that the Dell Streak might be running 2.2 in this demo but not only is 2.3 possible but Honeycomb too. I expect this one to be the ‘long-shelf-life’ 7 incher of 2011! Here’s a video. More images in the gallery.

Dell Streak 7 Android Tablet on the Way, WiFi Certification and Commercial Concept Leaks as Evidence


Way back in February at MWC Chippy spoke with a Dell representative who confirmed that the Dell Streak (aka Mini 5) was one of a family of upcoming devices. Since then we saw leaked renders in April of a 7 inch and 10 inch Streak device courtesy of Engadget.

strreak wifiJump to almost 9 months later and we find a Streak device passing through WiFi certification (this actually happened back in November, but didn’t get uncovered until recently.) The device could be one of several different sizes of Streak devices, but a commercial concept leak from Engadget lets us assume that the device is in fact the forthcoming Dell Streak 7. Let’s also not overlook the fact that Streak Smart called out case designer, Vaja, for listing a 7 inch Streak on their website.

From the Engadget leak and the WiFi certification, we know that the Dell Streak 7 will be a 7 inch Android device that functions as a phone as well. It’ll also have WiFi b/g/n and a Gorilla Glass screen. The commercial concept also mentions a “blazing graphics card for on the go gaming inch which could indicate some Nvidia Tegra integration, but could also just be marketing speak for “Look, it plays games! inch.

the original 5 inch Streak was already considered huge for a phone (and hasn’t quite taken off)… We’ll have to wait and see how people react to Dell expecting them to use a 7 inch device as a phone. Chances are, we’ll get a look at this device at CES 2011.

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