We just got out of Dell's mobile roundtable, and despite an extended tangent on China's phone market, we did manage to get some details on its AT&T-bound Mini 3 and yet-to-be-officially titled "Streak" tablet. Let's get down to brass tacks here: the Mini 3's been customized with ActiveSync for our own (corporate) email systems. There is Android market, but for future reference, that's always going to be up to the carrier. As for naming the 5-inch tablet that's so far been rumored / codenamed the Streak, the company "might as well call it a Mini" said Dell, perhaps jokingly -- Mini 5, anyone? During a quick hands-on we got to check out the keyboard, which was very nice and included a numpad on the right in landscape mode (pictured). We also witnessed someone checking out the system details, and sure enough, this custom skin is running Android 1.6 -- no telling if that's what it'll ship with, though. There's also a front-facing camera on the Streak, and much to our delight, capacitive multitouch is alive and well on both devices mentioned here.
As for method of distribution, the company will sell phones via Dell's online store (in addition to the carrier stores), but whether or not they'll be unlocked is something the company will "most certainly experiment with that at some point, but that's not [its] first priority today."
Update: We've got some quick-and-dirty video of the customized Android UI and awesome keyboard -- it's after the break.
what's up with all these too-big for pocket portable gadgets? i refuse to wear my man purse because it clashes with my eyes. i guess i will have to revert to wearing cargo pants. or maybe dust off the old fanny pack...but i don't want to be swarmed by the ladies...hmmm...
Agreed that clothing manufacturers should start thinking about making bigger pockets. This BS about something not fitting in your pockets is getting ridiculous. Have people really stopped carrying stuff that doesn't fit in their pockets? It would be easy to make lightweight leather cases that you could carry a tablet in. I'm not sure of the definition of a purse, but times do change. If you can carry media content with a larger screen, then maybe it's time for men to start carrying purses/cases or whatever. If you can carry a netbook, then you can carry a tablet.
@Anonymoose Get a black one, like mine, although mine is more like a bookbag(sac a dos) which holds my scriptures and crosswords. And rope. Good ol' rope.
@Anonymoose The unexpectedly awesome feature? The 5MP camera. The Dell Mini 5 has a 5-inch screen, and your subject fills the entire frame. It's an oddly satisfying implementation of a camera, in a super sizing kind of way. This will be dell's flagship for their tablet device. More Details: http://bit.ly/dell-mini-5-details
@Murphy Mac no the size of the tablet. it cant fit in your pocket, so if you carry a case for it and your a guy, it looks like your carrying a man purse lol
Carry it in a belt case. Use a bluetooth headset when you are just using it as a phone. It is what I do with my HTC Magic. Half the time, in the car, it is clipped to a windshield mount acting like a GPS. At home it is an ebook reader and web browser. Definitely would love to get more screen real estate!
we'll? what do you mean by "we'll"? do you post with a gang of people? and if so, then why don't i do that? everything is better with a posse. jump roping, singing, mass murdering, solitaire playing, feet waxing, etc.
This is the kind of device you would keep around the house to pick up and check email, web, etc. It would be great if it came with an RF transmitter so it could also be used as universal remote.
@Mojzu - th ebigger the screen the better! But 5 is cutting it close. ThE HD2 has a 4.3 and the X10 has a 4.1 Should be a side by side sometime soon as we can all swoon at the biggerness of the future.
Nonsense. I could totally use this as my day-to-day phone. Since 90% of what I use my phone for is web browsing and email, this ginormous display is ideal. This should fit in my pockets just fine.
Do an informal survey. Take a look around you and see what people are *really* doing with their "phones". 90% of the time they're sending texts, browsing the web, playing a game, or listening to music.
Every morning I ride the subway and I don't hear a single phone conversation. Everyone is doing a million and one things with their "phones" other than talking.
The guys I work with are constantly complaining that their kids are running up the "phone" bill due to excessive text messaging. Who talks on these things?
Personally, I've been holding out for a 4-5 inch "internet device". I could care less about the phone part. If it makes phones call, great. I won't be using that functional all that much. Give me a big, hi-res display, and I'll be in heaven.
@Spiny Norman Exactly. That's why I would buy an iPod touch over an iPhone. I already have a phone! I have Wi-Fi at home, and with my DSL, I get free Wi-Fi almost anywhere! So this would do me perfect!
@Spiny Norman Also completely agree. This type of device, with sufficiently inexpensive wireless broadband, is a game changer that the IPhone is not. Doubling the screen area makes the difference between a phone add-on and a practical browser. Those priorities are backward. The mobile browser is the real killer app. The phone is the add-on.
Android + browser could be the lightweight, thin client, open source OS that people already want on their laptops and desktops. First, the mobile internet device, then the world. Finally, the end of MS bloatware. It's certainly a better bet than other Linux desktops.
I liked the Archos 5 form factor a lot, but multi-touch was critically absent, and it seems clearly to be an element of the emerging UI standard for tablets, like the second mouse button on a Windows PC a couple of decades ago. I've also read that the Archos device is buggy, but I'd have bought software bugs if all the hardware was there. I don't see anything missing here. I'm salivating. I'll definitely own something in this category this year, and I wish I could own it now, bugs or no bugs. Software is soft. That's what upgrades are for. Take my money, please.
@andreab Y,Y,Y,N here too. That slate is sexy. You may look funny packing something that big in your pants but when you whip it out everybody will want a piece of it.
It makes me wonder if I want to keep my phone and I think the iPhone is too big. I think 3 devices is kind of the key most techies can justify: Desktop - Mobile (10-30" computer) - Smartphone
I was thinking of swapping my netbook out for a slightly lower powered device but now I'm thinking of swapping out my phone for one of these slates.
@andreab Yes. Yes. Yes. NO. I don't care if he says it could save my life. Apple is cool, but overrated. I wish people(especially people my age, i'm a teen) would realize that.
@Kerensky97 That's the perfect setup. I want my Desktop at home. I want my Mobile device like this. I want my phone separate from my mobile device. Some like them together, I don't. I prefer to not have a smartphone( I think that's my cheap side talking.).
i'll take one running Android or Windows 7..I hope it has a microphone for skype and voip calls. Any good competition for Apple is good for customers. My iPhone has been retired and now pulling WebOS
This has totally become my new phone of the moment since the nexus one and HD2 went to T-mobile. My mini 9 is pretty great, wouldn't mind having a mini 5 as well.
Found a nice walkthrough site at http://www.dellstreak.com/ ...it's a phone soo advanced the guy doing the walkthrough has two opposable thumbs!
"the company will sell phones via Dell's online store (in addition to the carrier stores), but whether or not they'll be unlocked is something the company will "most certainly experiment with that at some point"
So which carrier(s) might this be locked to in the US? AT&T, Tmobile or both?
"The video you attempted to watch is a shared video, meaning that its author has chosen specific friends to have privileges to watch it. If this video has been shared to you, you must log in to be able to watch it."
Biggest questions are which radios for 3G, when and how much.
I am still hoping HTC will release a similar product since xda-developer support really helps in extending the device. I need root to get tethering, and the paid market up and running.
I MUST KNOW, what's the storage on this baby? My dream would be 200GB at least to replace Archos 5, but it seem solid state would be the only option. I'm crossing my finger for (longshot) 64GB with SDHC support at least.
I want to know more about the Android the Streak is running. Is that tabbed app windows I spy? Is that something already in Android? I haven't been keeping up as much as I should.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
posted January 8th 2010 1:10PM
what's up with all these too-big for pocket portable gadgets? i refuse to wear my man purse because it clashes with my eyes. i guess i will have to revert to wearing cargo pants. or maybe dust off the old fanny pack...but i don't want to be swarmed by the ladies...hmmm...
@Anonymoose
It's just time to upgrade your pockets, that's all.
@Anonymoose - Don't do it man! No fanny pack! Just get some Army fatigues.
I am really curious to know what is powering this pig. And whether or not it will have the APP Store, Andy 2.1, and other gut materials.
@Anonymoose lol that made my day
Gawd, you guys must wear some tight-assed pants. I'd have no problem stuffing this thing in a shirt pocket, or a front pocket in a pair of Dockers.
@Anonymoose
You could always wear a kilt with a sporran.
@Anonymoose
This will fit perfectly in my manbag. Im.. bagging.. one of these for sure.
What idiot would buy this as their primary phone, its a second device and will do nicely when im pretending to work. ^^
@billyfarmer
Agreed that clothing manufacturers should start thinking about making bigger pockets. This BS about something not fitting in your pockets is getting ridiculous. Have people really stopped carrying stuff that doesn't fit in their pockets? It would be easy to make lightweight leather cases that you could carry a tablet in. I'm not sure of the definition of a purse, but times do change. If you can carry media content with a larger screen, then maybe it's time for men to start carrying purses/cases or whatever. If you can carry a netbook, then you can carry a tablet.
@Anonymoose
Get a black one, like mine, although mine is more like a bookbag(sac a dos) which holds my scriptures and crosswords. And rope. Good ol' rope.
@Anonymoose The unexpectedly awesome feature? The 5MP camera. The Dell Mini 5 has a 5-inch screen, and your subject fills the entire frame. It's an oddly satisfying implementation of a camera, in a super sizing kind of way. This will be dell's flagship for their tablet device. More Details: http://bit.ly/dell-mini-5-details
lol So true so true. the size is definatley an issue
@tatester48 You mean the guy's thumbnail?
@Murphy Mac no the size of the tablet. it cant fit in your pocket, so if you carry a case for it and your a guy, it looks like your carrying a man purse lol
@tatester48
Carry it in a belt case. Use a bluetooth headset when you are just using it as a phone. It is what I do with my HTC Magic. Half the time, in the car, it is clipped to a windshield mount acting like a GPS. At home it is an ebook reader and web browser. Definitely would love to get more screen real estate!
@tatester48 ---> backpack, briefcase, etc.
That tablet is eye-catching. We'll have to watch this one.
@HardToBelieve
we'll? what do you mean by "we'll"? do you post with a gang of people? and if so, then why don't i do that? everything is better with a posse. jump roping, singing, mass murdering, solitaire playing, feet waxing, etc.
@Anonymoose - and hari kari !
@Anonymoose
You don't have a posse/gang? Wow. Aren't you behind the times.
No, I just subconciously say "We" or "we'll" instead of "I" or "I'll"
This is the kind of device you would keep around the house to pick up and check email, web, etc. It would be great if it came with an RF transmitter so it could also be used as universal remote.
I know it would be impractical day to day as a replacement for my phone. But I still want it...
@Mojzu - th ebigger the screen the better! But 5 is cutting it close. ThE HD2 has a 4.3 and the X10 has a 4.1 Should be a side by side sometime soon as we can all swoon at the biggerness of the future.
@POZ http://www.engadget.com/photos/dell-streak-is-a-5-inch-android-2-0-mid-packs-3g-and-wifi/2381681 sortof a side by side... with a flip-flop among other things!
@Mojzu
Nonsense. I could totally use this as my day-to-day phone. Since 90% of what I use my phone for is web browsing and email, this ginormous display is ideal. This should fit in my pockets just fine.
@Chip
Totally agree.
Do an informal survey. Take a look around you and see what people are *really* doing with their "phones". 90% of the time they're sending texts, browsing the web, playing a game, or listening to music.
Every morning I ride the subway and I don't hear a single phone conversation. Everyone is doing a million and one things with their "phones" other than talking.
The guys I work with are constantly complaining that their kids are running up the "phone" bill due to excessive text messaging. Who talks on these things?
Personally, I've been holding out for a 4-5 inch "internet device". I could care less about the phone part. If it makes phones call, great. I won't be using that functional all that much. Give me a big, hi-res display, and I'll be in heaven.
@Spiny Norman
Exactly. That's why I would buy an iPod touch over an iPhone. I already have a phone! I have Wi-Fi at home, and with my DSL, I get free Wi-Fi almost anywhere! So this would do me perfect!
@Spiny Norman
Also completely agree. This type of device, with sufficiently inexpensive wireless broadband, is a game changer that the IPhone is not. Doubling the screen area makes the difference between a phone add-on and a practical browser. Those priorities are backward. The mobile browser is the real killer app. The phone is the add-on.
Android + browser could be the lightweight, thin client, open source OS that people already want on their laptops and desktops. First, the mobile internet device, then the world. Finally, the end of MS bloatware. It's certainly a better bet than other Linux desktops.
I liked the Archos 5 form factor a lot, but multi-touch was critically absent, and it seems clearly to be an element of the emerging UI standard for tablets, like the second mouse button on a Windows PC a couple of decades ago. I've also read that the Archos device is buggy, but I'd have bought software bugs if all the hardware was there. I don't see anything missing here. I'm salivating. I'll definitely own something in this category this year, and I wish I could own it now, bugs or no bugs. Software is soft. That's what upgrades are for. Take my money, please.
Will people trade in their phone for something too big for their pockets? No
Will people start carrying two devices? No
Will people buy a slate that does everything your smartphone does, only with a screen that's somewhat larger? No
Will people buy a slatedevice because Steve Jobs says it's "amazing" twentyfour times on january 27th? Probably yes.
@andreab
My pockets are plenty big for this thing. Stop wearing girl's jeans and you'll be fine.
@andreab
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
@andreab
Y,Y,Y,N here too.
That slate is sexy. You may look funny packing something that big in your pants but when you whip it out everybody will want a piece of it.
It makes me wonder if I want to keep my phone and I think the iPhone is too big. I think 3 devices is kind of the key most techies can justify:
Desktop - Mobile (10-30" computer) - Smartphone
I was thinking of swapping my netbook out for a slightly lower powered device but now I'm thinking of swapping out my phone for one of these slates.
@andreab
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
NO. I don't care if he says it could save my life. Apple is cool, but overrated. I wish people(especially people my age, i'm a teen) would realize that.
@Kerensky97
That's the perfect setup. I want my Desktop at home. I want my Mobile device like this. I want my phone separate from my mobile device. Some like them together, I don't. I prefer to not have a smartphone( I think that's my cheap side talking.).
i'll take one running Android or Windows 7..I hope it has a microphone for skype and voip calls. Any good competition for Apple is good for customers. My iPhone has been retired and now pulling WebOS
I have a 5" pmp. I just leave it in my coat pocket, not that big of a deal.
@max1001 What if you're not wearing a coat?
@jinushaun
honestly man, what PMP doesn't wear a fur coat with an iced out walking stick?
I wish someone would post an image of the Streak next to another phone to show scale.
@jinushaun fine, ill post again! http://www.engadget.com/photos/dell-streak-is-a-5-inch-android-2-0-mid-packs-3g-and-wifi/2381681 ...
how is 5" too big?
my archos fits perfectly into my inside blazer pocket, and considering it has a HDD which adds a lot of bulk and weight it's actually ok.
This has totally become my new phone of the moment since the nexus one and HD2 went to T-mobile. My mini 9 is pretty great, wouldn't mind having a mini 5 as well.
Found a nice walkthrough site at http://www.dellstreak.com/ ...it's a phone soo advanced the guy doing the walkthrough has two opposable thumbs!
@NGnerd ...that is, two thumbs on one hand...er...
"the company will sell phones via Dell's online store (in addition to the carrier stores), but whether or not they'll be unlocked is something the company will "most certainly experiment with that at some point"
So which carrier(s) might this be locked to in the US? AT&T, Tmobile or both?
"The video you attempted to watch is a shared video, meaning that its author has chosen specific friends to have privileges to watch it. If this video has been shared to you, you must log in to be able to watch it."
I guess we arn't cool enough to watch this video
Login to watch video...
Biggest questions are which radios for 3G, when and how much.
I am still hoping HTC will release a similar product since xda-developer support really helps in extending the device. I need root to get tethering, and the paid market up and running.
I MUST KNOW, what's the storage on this baby? My dream would be 200GB at least to replace Archos 5, but it seem solid state would be the only option. I'm crossing my finger for (longshot) 64GB with SDHC support at least.
@masso
Probably 32 and 64gb SSD.
@masso I prefer flash over a harddrive, but if i can go cheaper with a HDD, then give it to me! I do want a lot of codec support... XD
I want to know more about the Android the Streak is running. Is that tabbed app windows I spy? Is that something already in Android? I haven't been keeping up as much as I should.
hey, not sure if you guys seen this clip. Some good Streak footage though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JHHB1ua88E