Dell Streak 7 now on sale at Currys for just £100

Are you living in UK and want an ultra-cheap Honeycomb tablet? Dell Streak 7 is practically going for a steal at £99.97 right now at Currys. This seven inch tablet comes with FroYo on-board but Honeycomb update has already been released two months ago, so as soon as you will open the tablet, you will have Honeycomb waiting for you.
Apart from the poor display resolution (800 x 480), there is no actual problem with the tablet. It features 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 7 inch LCD, 512MB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, and the usual Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS.
It is now available for home delivery, so you will have to reserve a unit online and then you can collect it from your nearest Currys store.

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Dell partners with Chinese search engine Baidu for Streak Pro

Dell’s American Android ambitions may have soured after lackluster sales of the Streak 5 and Streak 7 tablets, but it’s more than willing to take advantage of the rapidly expanding Chinese market. Since Google’s ubiquitous presence isn’t nearly as ubiquitous across the Pacific, it’s partnering with search engine Baidu to deliver services to their latest creation, the Streak Pro. The phone will use the Baidu Yi platform, a fork of Gingerbread’s open-source code that remains compatible with Android apps. Dell has effectively ended its Android products in America after it stopped selling the Streak 7 tablet through T-Mobile earlier this month.

Dell is the first company to produce a Yi phone, though they’ve released more subtly modified Android phones in the territory in the past. And just because it’s releasing to a traditionally low-income market doesn’t mean it won’t be impressive: the Streak Pro is aiming for the growing high end with a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen and qHD resolution. That’s enough to match most of the flagship phones in the US and Europe, and considerably more powerful than any ARM-based Dell products produced before.
Baidu apps are already commonplace on many Chinese Android smartphones, and the Yi platform will be an even greater integration with the company’s far-reaching services. It’s unclear how closely Yi will follow Android’s development path – they could simply update the modified Android code incrementally, as Barnes & Noble has done with its Nook tablets, or continue with independence development on their own. The latter seems unlikely, as apps published for Android would become increasingly nonfunctional the further that Yi’s code strays away from Android’s source. [via Engadget]

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Dell Streak 5 receives official Android 2.3 Gingerbread ROM

Dell might have stopped selling the Dell Streak 5 in the US, never mind the fact that this little puppy has been cleared for use at the Pentagon, but that does not mean the Texas-based computer manufacturer has stopped all forms of support for the Streak 5. In fact, Dell has just rolled out the official Android 2.3 Gingerbread ROM for said device. If you are one of the few folks out there who own a Dell Streak 5, just head on to the link here and begin the 155MB .pkg file download. Having said that, I would recommend your device is plugged in to a power source, or has full battery capacity, while you perform the download over a Wi-Fi connection.
Also, do remember to make a backup of your device and all the information inside as you can never tell just when something might go wrong. Installation should be a fast and painless effort, assuming you have the right stock recovery version installed (version 350). Those who have already made the update, how do you find your Gingerbread experience compared to Froyo?

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Dell Streak Pro D43 hits China

We have seen a leaked Dell Streak Pro 101DL that is powered by Baidu’s Yi platform, and here is news of the Dell Streak Pro D43 (the 101DL is the Japanese counterpart) that has just hit China. This is the first Baidu Yi-powered smartphone in the world, and it will come with similar specifications as that of the 101DL, including a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, quadband HSPA support, a 4.3” AMOLED display at 960 × 540 resolution, 8GB of internal memory, and a microSD memory card slot for future expansion purposes. What are some of the features? We are looking at basic voice control in Mandarin, the ability to synchronize your contacts, Baidu Chinese input, Yi’s very own app store and 100GB of free cloud storage that is capable of supporting multimedia upload and secure file sharing. You can more or less say that the Yi platform is a different version of the Android platform, although it will not come with any of Google’s services.

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Lenovo commits to Android tablets after Dell abandons the Streak

OK, Dell Streak fans, this is your chance to speak up. No one? OK. After Dell stopped selling the Streak 7 tablet, essentially giving up on the Android tablet scene in America, many believe that it’s preparing to transition to Windows tablets. A new 10-inch Windows 7 slate is already coming, and Windows 8 tablets should be available in late 2012 or 2013. Dell didn’t confirm any definite plans. But either way, Lenovo appears ready and willing to become the PC manufacturer with the greatest presence in the Android tablet world.

“Our tablet strategy today is an Android operating system,” said a North American Lenovo executive in an interview with CRN, backing up the evidence of recent leaks. Lenovo’s S-series tablets and an upcoming quad-core monster labelled the LePad K2 are poised to launch in the first half of 2012, giving Lenovo one of the widest Android tablet lines this side of Samsung. It will also be one of just two PC manufacturers with a solid Android ARM-based tablet presence, sharing the stage with Acer.
Dell isn’t necessarily out of the game – there’s no confirmation that they’re done with Android. But given the vicious competition in the tablet space overall, it could be that the company is just looking to focus on its more traditional strength, a la HP. Dell still has some pretty strong showings for Android smartphones, though they only seem interested in the Chinese market at the moment. Is anyone really broken up about Dell’s probable exit from mobile tablets? Sound off in the comments.

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Dell kills Streak 7 tablet

The Dell Streak line of Android tablets haven’t been hugely popular with most folks choosing offerings from other makers. The sales of the smallest of the Streak offerings the Streak 5 were bad enough that Dell ended the tablet in August. Dell has now ended the larger sibling to the Streak 5, the Streak 7 reports StreakSmart.

We had heard back in September that T-Mobile would not be updating its 4G version of the Streak 7 to Honeycomb. I am sure we weren’t the only ones that thought that move didn’t bode well for the tablet. Dell didn’t issue a press release or any reasoning for ending the Streak 7 tablet’s run. It’s easy to assume that the tablet simply didn’t sell enough to justify making it though.
Dell pulled the listings for the Streak 7 from its website and left a note on the Streak 7 page saying it was no longer available online. That would seemingly hint that you might still be able to get a Streak 7 tablet in T-Mobile locations. The obvious downside to buying one at this point is that you will be stuck with whatever Android version is on the tablet when you get it. Perhaps they will be cheaper though since they are no longer being produced.
[via SlashGear]

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Department of Defense approves Dell Streak 5 for high-security networks

Better late than never, I suppose. The United States Department of Defense had added its first Android device to its list of officially supported handsets and tablets: the 5-inch Dell Streak. The phone/tablet made it through an extensive gauntlet of testing for security and comparability, performed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). This means that DOD employee and contractors will be able to use the Dell Streak, now almost 18 months out from its initial release, to conduct their business around the world.

To be fair, the Streak 5′s outdated hardware wasn’t what was being tested. Dell’s corporate software suite, Mobile Security for Android, is what was getting the real shake-down. I suppose that since the testing procedures take so long, older hardware is the only thing that’s available. Dell mentioned that the security suite will be available on “the next wave of Dell Android devices” set for a 2012 release. The company is eager to serve the government and military market, especially since it’s currently the only Android manufacturer to do so.
So what does this mean for government workers? More choice, for one – if you work for the Department of Defense or one of the branches of the U.S. Military, you no longer have to use a Blackberry to access sensitive networks and data. Dell’s security suite, developed with help from Good Technologies, allows for remote access to desktop PCs and servers, as well as command and control programs. Maybe you might even be able to use it on some current hardware, sometime next year.
[via InformationWeek]
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Dell Streak 7 receiving OTA to Android 3.2 Honeycomb

Well folks, we haven’t heard much from Dell lately in regards to their lineup of Android, especially regarding the Streak 7 Android Tablet. Back in July we saw leaks of their new 10″ Honeycomb tablet as well as a glimpse of the Streak 7 enjoying the same tasty Honeycomb. Now sources are stating the Android 3.2 Honeycomb update for the Streak is rolling out now.

Some users are claiming to finally be receiving the update to 3.2 Honeycomb for the Dell Streak 7″ Tablet. Over at the Dell support forums there is some chatter that more than a few have already received the OTA update and are giving it a try as we speak. One mentions all user data was wiped during the update and he lost everything, while another user reports just the opposite and that the update did not wipe the entire device. Either way I’m sure a few Streak users are excited to give the tablet OS a try.
With reports that the hardware menu button isn’t working in select situations, and of course that low resolution not looking its best, I’m sure we’ll be hearing more soon but at least this is a good sign. For now it seems users across the pond and outside of the U.S received the update and we still have no further details for the U.S. market or those running with a T-Mobile Streak 7.
As soon as we hear more regarding an official statement from Dell, or confirmation on the OTA update we will be sure to update with more details.

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Dell Takes another Stab at Android Smartphones with the Streak Pro 101DL for Japan

After early attempts to strike a name for themselves in both the Android smartphone and tablet arenas, Dell has more recently kept rather quiet on both fronts. Their 10-inch Honeycomb slate, the Streak 10 Pro, didn’t see an extremely wide release as the Dell name has slowly fallen out of most Android discussions. The company looks to make a return in a big way with the announcement of the new Dell Streak Pro 101DL the first full-fledged smartphone entry into the Streak lineup and no slacker in the specs department.
The Streak Pro 101DL is headed for Japan’s SoftBank and features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen at qHD resolution, a 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8260 processor, and an 8MP camera. Other specs include Dell’s Stage 2.0 interface on top of Android 2.3, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and support for Bluetooth 2.1 and 802.11b/g/n.
Japan is slated to get the phone first but Dell does have global sales plans for the new Steak Pro 101DL. It could give Dell just the boost they need to become a relevant Android contributor once again.
[via TechCrunch]

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Dell offers Android users app for shopping and support

Dell has announced a new app for Android users that will let Android fans access a bunch of features for support and to buy new products. The app is an extension of the Dell.com website and it is called the Dell Mobile App for Android. The app is on the Android Market right now for download. You can also download it directly from the Dell website at this link.

Using the app Android owners can shop from anywhere and at anytime and offers many of the features from the main site. With the app users can browse products and compare different products from Dell as well as read reviews. Once the product is chose the user can buy what they are looking at securely directly from the mobile device.
All the same products and options are available on the app as the main Dell website. This might be a cool app for the corporate IT person that has to order products for multiple people within the company. Dell is also pushing the app to be a shopping hub for the holiday season. Dell and Baidu have been in the news lately. Dell and Baidu recently joined up to build an Android-based OS for mobile devices in China.
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Baidu and Dell building Android-based OS for phones and tablets

While Google is huge in America and many other places around the world, Baidu is the biggest in China and are planning to get their own slice of the Android and mobile market. Google operates a big operation in China but is still behind Baidu in that region. China has a massive mobile market and it’s only getting bigger, they are aiming to build their own OS using Android at the center but call it “Yi”.

Yi will consist of Android but be stripped of anything Google and replaced with Baidu and have a beautiful user interface over the top, looking a bit like iOS and MIUI combined for a nice pretty UI. Dell sees this as an opportunity and is already planning a large hardware partnership with Baidu to launch their own smartphones and tablets running on the new “Yi” OS. Some being branded by Dell, and other by Baidu they expect this to greatly improve their mobile business.

Some analysts stated this is just Dell grasping at anything to help their ailing mobile business not to mention China still has a huge fan base of Apple products that dominate the market. While seeing 3rd party or custom “operating systems” running off of Android is nothing new, I do like to see what others come up with and how they will implement everything. Did you guys see the Google Android running Yahoo! Phone? This is what comes to mind although something tells me Baidu has a much better chance than Yahoo does.
More as this story develops.
[via SlashGear]

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Dell Makes It Even Easier To Hand Over Your Hard Earned Cash With Its New Mobile App

Have you ever been out-and-about and suddenly realized that you needed to order a computer from Dell? Well, you'll never have to deal with the panic that can ensue from such a situation ever again -- now you can just grab your Android phone, fire up the official Dell app, and order away!

You can basically order anything Dell related from the app; everything from TVs to laptops, cameras, printers, and monitors, all on the go. The app also allows you to compare up to three items side-by-side, read product reviews and ratings, track your order status, manage your account, and contact a Dell rep through email or by phone. The app also gives you direct access to support forums, videos, and FAQs, which could come in handy if you only have one computer and it's having problems.

Dell Mobile

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Dell Streak 5 axed

Dell has quietly killed the Streak 5, its 5-inch Android tablet/smartphone hybrid. Confirmed on the company’s site - with the message “Goodbye, Streak 5. It’s been a great ride” – the decision follows various discounting drives on the tablet as well as stock shortages.

The Streak 5 was already over a year old, having been initially released in the UK on June 4 2010. It arrived with Android 1.6, which Dell had reskinned, but was later – and after some delays – upgraded to Android 2.2 Froyo. Despite vocal support from a minority subset of users, the Streak 5 failed to achieve mainstream success, perhaps because of its “tweener” scale – falling in-between a phone, the functionality of which it offered, and a tablet – and non-tablet-centric OS.
Dell still offers the Streak 7, it’s 7-inch slate, and is expected to release further Android tablets in the near future. They will likely run Honeycomb, Google’s tablet-specific OS, rather than the phone build that the Streak relied on.
[via SlashGear]

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Dell's 10-inch Android and Windows tablets get names, specs, release dates

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Well, well, what have we here? A pair of 10-inch Dell tablets, one running Windows 7 on those fancy new Oak Trail chips from Intel and the other pushing Android 3.0 with a Tegra T25. We already saw these devices leaked in February, but now we have some specs and release dates. The Wintel powered Latitude ST boasts a resolution of 1366 x 768, 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD, GPS, an accelerometer, both front- and rear-facing cameras, an 8-hour removable battery, and "1080p video output," which we assume means HDMI-out. The Android-flavored Streak Pro opts for a 1200 x 800 panel, but keeps the pair of cameras (and two mics) for video chats, while adding an unspecified mobile broadband radio and slathering Dell's Stage UI on top of Honeycomb (whether or not that's a good thing is purely a matter of taste). Pricing is still up in the air, but the leaked roadmap indicates the Streak Pro will land in June, followed by the Latitude XT3 convertible tablet in July, and the Latitude ST in October.  

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