Dell Streak confirmed to ship with Android 1.6 in the US
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but Lionel Menchaca (chief blogger for Dell) has just confirmed that the Streak will indeed launch in the US with Android 1.6 (Donut).
One of the most popular rumors, fueled by erroneous information given out by Dell customer service reps, was that unlike its British counterpart, the American Streak would be preloaded with Android 2.1 (Eclair) or even 2.2 (Froyo) to compete with all the other superphones. Many thought—or more accurately, hoped—that the lack of official news about the device's US release was due to the company's efforts to try to get the newer OS loaded onto it.
The possibility of an Eclair- or Froyo-equipped Streak was already beginning to look less likely when US-based sites like Engadget, TechMinds, and CrunchGear posted reviews and hands-on previews with the device still running Donut this week. But Menchaca's comment on Phandroid (comment #5) and subsequent confirmation on Twitter today makes it crystal clear:
Initially, the Dell Streak will run Android 1.6, but we’ll support an over-the-air upgrade to Froyo later this summer.
On the bright side, at least "later this summer" isn't too far off.
