First impressions of the Dell Streak hardware
Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, I took some mental notes while unboxing the Dell Streak to document my knee-jerk reactions and immediate thoughts when handling the 5-inch Android tablet for the first time.
Here they are in no particular order:
- Wow!
- Bigger than expected. Most devices look smaller in person in than in photos, but I had the opposite reaction to the Streak. Have a look at my Streak size comparisons post for a better idea of its size.
- I hope I don't drop it. Even though it's built really well, there's something about it that makes it feel a little fragile. I think it would be able to withstand a fall, but I'm not going to test it out (not on purpose, anyway).
- Very thin. When you see something as big as the Streak, you expect it to be much thicker than it really is when you pick it up.
- Too glossy. My god, even the accessories are glossy! I understand that gloss makes a device look sleek and sexy before anyone has laid a hand on it, but "too much of a good thing" is a cliche for a reason. A quick polish gets the Streak looking like new again, sure, but do you want to admire the device from afar or actually use it?
- Excellent build quality. Very, very nice. The back has a nice matte "automotive-grade paint" finish and is made of plastic and metal, while the screen is glossy and made of Corning's extra strong Gorilla Glass. I don't know what the tapered sides flanking the display are made of, but they're not scratch-proof.
- No kickstand. What the hell?
- Other than the headphone jack at the top, the proprietary dock/charging port at the bottom is the only port on the device. A micro USB port would've been nice and an HDMI port would've made the Streak more competitive.
- Speaker placement. I really like how the speaker grill curves around the battery cover on the back of the Streak.
- No branding on the front of the device.
- I hope the capacitive touch buttons are responsive. My HTC EVO 4G has a great set of similar buttons, but the subpar accuracy/responsiveness of the Nexus One's touch buttons makes me worry that other devices will have the same problems. [UPDATE: Nothing to worry about here. The buttons are very responsive and also have haptic feedback.]
- Dust getting stuck between the seams on the front may be an issue over time.
- Dedicated camera shutter button.
- Power button is more recessed than shutter button. Defect on my unit?
- Nice included accessory bundle.
- I like how the screen bezel is disguised, making it look like the entire slab of glass is the actual display when the Streak is turned off and viewed from certain angles. This must be why whoever designed the product box made that mistake with the image.
