Dell Streak 5" Android Smartphone/Mini Tablet PC 3G GPS WiFi

As others have said, it's a big phone, but it will go in your pocket. On the other hand, the screen size means video can be viewed at a sensible size, and reading text using the Kindle app is very easy. I'd advise users to get a battery management app which turns off stuff like wi-fi and Bluetooth to save power - otherwise the battery drains in about a day with everything running. Overall, for the price Morgan are asking this is a real bargain. I'm very pleased with my Streak and hope to appreciate it better as time goes by.

Having has an iPhone for a few years I got this mainly out of interest in Android, I got it just to play with, but I am shocked I did not find it sooner… I have to say it’s every bit as good as my iPhone and even though it’s quite big it’s not so big you would not use it in public. There are 1000’s of apps to download, just about everything you can do on the iPhone you can do on this, you can even talk to it, why on earth have Dell stopped making it? You can get plenty of support online from user groups I have found. Battery life can be bad if you have everything on, just as can the iPhone, just turn off a few things you are not using and it’s fine. I have invested in a desktop charger and spare battery from ebay and all I can say is I think it’s great, thank you Morgan for tempting me with it.

For what you get for this price, the Streak 5 is a great buy. However for even more functionality, Dell have finally released a Gingerbread (2.3) update for it. Its a bit of faffing around (check the link below, it was installing the 350 stock recovery that took me a while to figure out), but when done, Skype on 2.3 allows the front facing camera to be used which is a great benefit for me when travelling overseas. http://www.streaksmart.com/2011/12/dell-releases-official-gingerbread-rom-for-dell-streak-5.html

Very impressed with this device, works well, particularly with mapping applications. Using MM Tracker with Memory Map maps gives great detail and it’s still portable enough for use when hill walking. Large size makes it a great for web browsing and email, much better than my old windows mobile based phone. It’s so good my wife wants one, it’s much better than her Blackberry. Looks like I’ll be ordering another one soon.

I have just sold my Nokia 9500 Communicator as the Wayfinder 6 sat nav has had the servers turned off (thanks Nokia) having has a true (the original?) smartphone for 5+ years. Quite used to holding a 'brick' (thanks 'friends') so size of this is not a problem and I was already used to a big display from the Nokia. Friends joked about the Nokia due to size but soon went silent when they found it was more like a PC - well the Streak get the same reaction! BIG display means that browser/sat nav/Quick Office really do work well on a phone (for a change). Oh and it makes calls - excellent call quality. Music/videos playing= Nokia brought right up to date. I use Business Calendar as my calendar and sync to my Google account - very easy to use on the Streak - no more straining the eyes or 'pinch to zoom' stuff necessary. Unit feels solid and good quality. I've heard that screen is prone to cracking due to size if dropped (never dropped the Nokia so can't see why I should this) so I'll get an Otter case for it. Only con is the non-micro USB charger port but you can buy extra (g quality) cables easily for under £15 on eBay/Amazon which is a good idea (car + work +spare?). All in all - great kit at a good price. Better than forking out on Contract for £35/mo for 2 yrs on a smaller device (I'm on basic PAYG so this buy/price is ideal). So good - might buy another!

After I ordered I was worried that the Streak would be too big. When it arrived I realised that though it is large for a phone it is not massive and soon got used to the size. The advantage of the size is the superb screen and usable size of the on-screen keyboard. It came peloaded with a 30 day trial of co-pilot 8 sat nav and it is way better than my stand alone sat nav. It gets my vote and the vote of almost all who look at it, including Samsung HTC and iphone owners.

This unlocked phone/tablet works great with my T-Mobile SIM and I'm really pleased with it. It's a much more usable screen size for web browsing than most phones, and FWIW Angry Birds is great on the larger screen. And it will still fit in your pocket, even in the neat drawstring case. It's quite responsive and doesn't seem to lock up like my previous Motorola Defy. 

Having used it now for a few weeks, i found that using it on the move is okay in small doses. I have checked out mobile broadband, but this seems costly and not always worth it. So I have adapted it as an accessory. its now very effective as a wi fi and tethering device. Especially so if you use an unregistered sim, as there is no network nonsense getting in the way.

Why? Well - just a minute.. First of all this seems like an excellent piece of kit - especially for the price. Certainly seems to be brand new and boxed - no signs of refurb. Worked straight out of the box, as soon as I'd put in my old sim. A full set of bells and whistles - plenty to play with, and obviously loads more chez Android. The not-so-good stuff: the quickstart-manual is is what it says - quick-start - after the first 5 mins it's useless. The online manual leaves a lot to be desired. Dell-Sync (bundled) is cr** - ES File Explorer easily links by wifi to everything on my network. It took me ages to get my contacts properly synced with google contacts - it's finally OK, but I don't really know why. Same thing with calendars. You can swipe sideways to half a dozen home screens (all one big wide one) but it seems impossible to move widgets around on them. But the good stuff! Amazing clarity and size of screen - how does anyone manage with those little things the size of a fag-packet? I have to say I'm a bit on the crusty side - and couldn't really manage tiny on-screen keyboards. This one (there's choice of two) is a dream, and voice controls seem to work quite a lot of the time. The actual dialer screen reminds one of the "simple" mobiles that real crusties are supposed to use, but you don't need to let anyone see you use it. The bluetooth in brilliant - legal in the car at last! I'm really glad I chose this - I'll never go back.

I was genuinely surprised by the size of this device when I opened the box; iPhone users may well be envious. I have to say that, if this is a factory refurb, there's no evidence for it. The device looks new and, given that Dell pulled all the unsold Streak 5's from the US market, one cannot help wondering. The screen is a delight to use, even for my big sausage-like fingers. Just occasionally, an action key is too small for accurate use. I came across this early with the forward/backward buttons on the keyboard 'swype' demo. Swype-typing is an acquired taste and I don't think I'll use it because I cannot see where my fingers are going on the keyboard unless I lift them off between keystrokes. I have to say that dialling telephone numbers is a delight for my ageing eyes as the keypad display is huge. I updated the Android OS to 2.2.2. Being in slowband territory (i.e. the countryside) this took 2 hours (180Mb) and I needed to set the screen to stay on, otherwise the phone went to sleep and cut the download off. Nonetheless, battery life seemed good and I reckon I could use this gadget fairly heavily for 24 hours before recharge. Being Android, there's loads of apps, many free (albeit some are loss-leaders or ad-carriers). I started by downloading the Jorte calendar app (free) because the pre-installed calendar won't let me enter appointments and won't tell me why (just says 'no calendars'). The Dell manual (downloaded, just a basic 'get started' one in the box) was no help either. The hardware is generally good as the phone is quite fast and responsive. Admittedly, the Steak sometimes takes time to figure which way up it is, the reception of WLAN signals seems rather weak, the GPS acquisition is slow compared to my ridiculously cheap Gentro GPS receiver (another great Morgan purchase) and there doesn't appear to be an FM radio for free listening but, what the hell, I can buy (more than) two of these phones for one new iPhone!

This is a decent piece of kit, and it can do a lot of things. It functions as a phone and pc, all in one. I think that what you can do is determined by the kind of deal you have with your provider. So the higher end of apps and functions come through with a more expensive contract, it seems to me. For me I use a PAYG basic deal and get most things that need to work. So the Streak does those fine. To save battery power turn off any things you don't need. Then it will last a few days on phone and text use. But will run out in a few hours if you have everything turned on. I use the Otter case as well, which is essential. the size takes some getting used to and finding the best place to put it when carrying it about. A good start in the Android world.

Yes, I'm still amazed by my Dell Streak Hybrid Tablet / Smartphone. And I consider it stylish to hold this huge monster to my ear during phone calls. It's forgiven for being so humungous, as the calls are "Crystal Clear"!! I've finally found a way to transfer your contacts to the Streak 5. First of all, make sure all your contacts are already in MS Outlook. Export them to a CSV file. Create a Google Email account (if you don't have one already), set up the Google email account on the Streak, ensure it synchronises with your Web Based Google Email. Now, import the CSV file into your Google Email Accounts Contacts list. Sychronise your Streak! Your contacts will appear automatically on your Dell Streak 5 within minutes. Sorted!! This is a bigger bargain than the £99 HP Touchpad, the Streak 5 is a phone!! And one more thing - if you buy one, protect it with an Otterbox Impact Series Case, got mine for £12.99 on Amazon! Total Protection, even includes a free screen protector for your Dell Streak 5!! This is the smartphone bargain of 2011!

I'm a QWERTY keyboard fan and stick to my Nokia E72 (Blackberry type) for emails etc., but I bought this for browsing mainly (with cheap T-mobile sim giving 100 texts, 100 mins and unlimited web for £10 a month under a monthly contract, for those of you who are looking for a good deal). The quality of the screen is excellent and the choice of apps impressive. I've used the Kindle app and enjoyed reading from it which surprised me (many free Kindle Classics). The feel of the phone gives a sense of quality and it comes with a slip case which keeps it clean and unscratched without taking up space. I thought this was a refurbished deal, but to be honest it comes as new. Everything is unopened and sealed. Unlike on smaller touchscreens the keyboard is much quicker to use as fewer mistakes are made because the keys are larger. In portrait you can use it with one hand ( typing with your thumb) if you wish, hand size permitting of course. The casing at the ends give you a place to hold it, meaning you're not constantly touching the screen by mistake which for me was a nightmare on the i-phone and Nokia N8 for example. I am now selling my Samsung 7” tab as it's much too bulky to carry around and the keyboard too large for one-handed use, so I found I wasn't using it but taking my small laptop instead which isn’t much larger or heavier. Now I have this phone I realise how bulky a 7" tablet is. The Streak 5 is perfect as you don't notice you're carrying it(in a pocket or bag). I've bought a cheap charging dock for the bedside to make life easier (eBay) so I don't have to remember to charge it, but the charge holds well despite long browsing and iplayer sessions. I haven’t done a full test on it so can’t give battery hours, but at least the battery is quickly changeable, again unlike the i-phone or Nokia N8, so you can easily carry a spare if necessary. It comes with a 16gb micro card, which is very useful, a usb cable to link with computer, and earphones. The only criticism is that I haven't found out how to import my contacts from my phone, which I was hoping to do over bluetooth (it may be my misunderstanding), and the user guide (downloaded from Dell) is not very helpful. However if it comes to it I can save them to the SD or sim card in one phone, and physically move them over as in days of yore. I'm also considering buying the media dock for use with TV. Not being a TV fan this is quite an admission for me! At least I can be really selective and watch from iplayer or TV Catch-up. I'm really delighted with this purchase. I seriously think this is the happy medium between phone and pad. I’m not using it as a phone at the moment but can see the time will come, and it may even wean me off the QWERTY keyboard phones, you never know!

After much procrastination and endless background checks on the reliabilty of the Dell Streak 5 Mini Tablet, I went ahead and bought one - to replace my ageing HTC Touch Pro which is grossly underused at the moment. Please note that I already have an IPhone 3GS!! Having used the Dell Streak 5 for a week now, I would describe myself as avidly "gobsmacked". It's amazing!! It's almost twice the size of my IPhone, and just as versatile, if not more. Do not underestimate the power of Android 2.2. Having raided the Adroid Apps Store for FREE Apps, I now can't put the thing down. It does everything; Email, Ebook Reader, YouTube, Web Surfing, Internet TV (including 7 Russian Channels - I kid you not!!), Weather reports, Skype, GPS, and it has a 5 megapixel camera to boot. And it makes amazingly clear phone calls!! Yes, it's huge, but who cares? It's a Hybrid 3G + HSDPA capable Communications Device. A Geeks wet dream!! Like a PADD from Star Trek TNG or Deep Space Nine!. Welcome to the 24th Century!! Well, what are you waiting for?!!

Needed a phone that didn't strain the eyes when reading websites. This fits the bill well. Whilst quite a heavy beast it functions well. Plenty of apps, easy to use and screen is great. Battery life lets it down slightly and you had better get a bluetooth headset otherwise you will feel a tad silly holding it to your ear! Overall, really pleased.

I bought one of these as I could not justify £400+ for a SIM free iPhone 4. I am really pleased. Its fast, its easy to use the screen is crystal clear. The Apps Market is superb. Only down side is my Wife steals it for hours to play Angry Birds! All in all 5 out of 5, great GPS, G3 and Wifi Palm PC and Phone. Who needs an iPod, an iPad and iPhone? Get the Dell Streak and it covers all 3... I am even reading a book on Amazon's Kindle app easily and without eye strain!