The Dell Streak Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on August 15, 2010 6:59 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Dell
- Streak
- Gadgets
- Mobile
The Camera
The Dell Streak ships with two cameras: a front facing 640 x 480 camera and a rear facing 5MP camera (2592 x 1944). Both are capable of recording video but only at 640 x 480. As you’ll soon see, given the quality of the sensors, it’s not a problem that the Streak doesn’t support 720p video recording.
The Camera app gives you the usual set of Android camera options. You can manually set white balance, adjust JPEG compression and even sync the camera to 50Hz or 60Hz signals for recording videos of displays.
The Streak has a dual LED flash on the rear facing sensor. The two LEDs are bright but not quite EVO 4G bright. There’s no auto flash option, it’s either on or off. On top of that you can’t use the flash while recording a video.
The size and shape of the Streak pretty much dictate that you want to use it in landscape mode, with two hands at that. The problem is holding the Streak naturally with two hands often puts your left finger over the camera lens. It’s not an insurmountable problem, but annoying.
I’ve already complained about how long the Camera app takes to launch and take photos. The problems don’t end there. The live view frame rate in the app varies from what looks to be 30 fps to probably half that if you point the camera at a poorly lit scene.
Taken with the rear camera
Taken with the front camera
At web resolutions the images the Streak produces are fine, but blown up to native resolution they leave a lot to be desired. The pixels are all very vague and over sharpened. Color reproduction is slightly off, almost as if there’s an overactive UV filter on all the time.
Compared to an iPad, you at least get a camera with the Streak. Compared to the EVO 4G or iPhone 4, the Streak’s camera isn’t very good.
Video recording quality isn't terrible but not great.
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donzi7000 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
If a cell phone stops you from getting laid you have major problems user-x.user_x - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
/sigh. It was a joke. He had a valid question. There is a limit to how big these things can get and still be deemed a phone. Out of curiosity, how large do YOU think that these phones slash tablets can be produced and not seem laughable to hold one to your face? I've been honestly wondering this and I think 5" is probably the breaking point. It seems like an awfully small niche market for Dell to be going after.vol7ron - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
With all the driving restrictions that are coming about these days, many people are turning to Bluetooth anyhow.Besides, remember all those iPhone adds about browsing the web while talking to someone on the phone? Sometimes you'd like to browse the web and still hold a private conversation (not using speakerphone), Bluetooth is the answer again.
If you want to use your phone for a phone, get something else, but I use my phone more for reading/browsing/texting/games than I do to talk to someone. I guess I'm more of an introvert when it comes to phones, because I don't like talking on them, they're just there in case of an emergency for me - the bigger, the better, so long as it can still fit in a pocket and last long enough to do stuff.
strikeback03 - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
I have a Archos 5 IMT (6th gen device, the version without Android) and consider it far too large to carry as a cell phone. I sometimes put it in a shirt pocket at work if I am moving around, but I consider it uncomfortable in a pants pocket, and I do not wear tight pants.OTOH, just over a year go I was using it at a coffee shop and someone asked me if it was a phone. I responded No, who would want to carry a phone this large? Now people are...
damianrobertjones - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
I'm sitting next to a HD2 which is 4.3". An extra 0.7" seems a small price to pay and shouldn't look silly.Either way, everyone that see's the phone says, "Ohhh, whats that...", then pauses, before adding, "Why didn't you get an iPhone?"
My reply of, "I don't want my pc to have an extra 6 services and bloatware" usually gets met with a blank look. I will, one day, own a streak
cameralogic - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
I don't think user-x is the one with the major problems here, troll7000...Anand Lal Shimpi - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
It's not terrible. I actually planned on taking a shot similar to what you just asked for but it slipped my mind at the last minute. I'll try to take one tomorrow.HP's Rahul Sood described it best - it's like you're ironing your face :)
More than anything it's just clumsy to pull out of your pocket and quickly answer the phone with.
Take care,
Anand
MadMan007 - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
This whole thread is rediculous. Anand, you surely remember the days of the gray minibrick Motorola 'flip phones,' the ones that were around before the StarTac. Anyone older than their mid-20s probably won't, and shouldn't, care. If this thing looks silly when help to make a call then all you have to do is show someone the screen to make it seem not silly ;)johnsonx - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
this reminds me a little of one of the very first smartphones, the original handspring Treo. It was a huge phone at the time, very wide; when you used it as a phone it looked like you were holding a small laptop to your face.FilipK959 - Sunday, August 15, 2010 - link
Five inch screen, I imagined 960x 540 pixels or something like that. With that much screen real-estate I think that web pages could still be readable and have more of the pages covered thus reducing scrolling. Ether way personally I like the format and if DELL resolve it's performance problems with Android 2.2 I will be very interested.