Interested in Dell Streak but ...

[Guest frenchdroid]

I'm thinking of buying a Streak, upgrading from San Fran running 2.3 with CyanogenMod 7 , which was bought to try out Android. Probably buy secondhand here in France unless I can see something like that £200 Tesco deal that came and went.

I have read quite a few threads on here and I have the impression that I would get more encouragement to buy a Streak from here than the mag/web reviewers that give poor scores because the Streak only had 1.6, 2.1, etc. I am happy using custom roms and mucking about so feel sure that general OS performance is going to be fine.

My questions are about any issues/problems I should research/understand before I buy a Streak. I won't be buying another phone for a while after this, and as much as anything, the Streak is to provide me with a semi tablet experience until something like the Eeee Transformer is old school (even though I'd like one of those at the moment, I have never been able to splash the cash on new tech - prefer to wait for a bargain).

Bit worried about the following:

- build quality is number one concern - I do treat my gadgets very well - is it super fragile or if I look after it, is it likely to withstand decent use ?

- is camera and video quality good enough to convince my wife that we don't need a separate camera/video thing ? This justifies me being able to buy it (its got to be better than the ZTE Blade/San Fran. I used to use our Nokia N95 - brilliant camera and video

- TV-Out - this is one thing I am keen on but does it actually work if I use a custom rom ?? I searched and saw some issues raised but didn't get the categoric yes or no from the threads I found.

- does it play Gameloft games - not a major concern but I can't see how I can play them on the Blade (by editing build.prop to show it as an HTC device) if the Streaks hardware can't handle them. But I thought I saw there might be problems.

- finally, any particular issues I should look out for when buying a secondhand Streak ? Particular builds, or features that are a bit iffy ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to reply.

[Guest Azurren]

Bit worried about the following:

- build quality is number one concern - I do treat my gadgets very well - is it super fragile or if I look after it, is it likely to withstand decent use ?

- is camera and video quality good enough to convince my wife that we don't need a separate camera/video thing ? This justifies me being able to buy it (its got to be better than the ZTE Blade/San Fran. I used to use our Nokia N95 - brilliant camera and video

- TV-Out - this is one thing I am keen on but does it actually work if I use a custom rom ?? I searched and saw some issues raised but didn't get the categoric yes or no from the threads I found.

- does it play Gameloft games - not a major concern but I can't see how I can play them on the Blade (by editing build.prop to show it as an HTC device) if the Streaks hardware can't handle them. But I thought I saw there might be problems.

- finally, any particular issues I should look out for when buying a secondhand Streak ? Particular builds, or features that are a bit iffy ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to reply.

Not had my streak for very long but I will try to answer some of your questions :unsure:

Build quality: It looks nice, real sleek but now looks naff in my silicone case. Touching the edge of the screen or even the bezel sends "ripples" through the LCD (Probably not damaging it but proves that the glass is firmly rooted to the LCD). I doubt the LCD would survive a drop as everyone claims

Got some dust under the menu button glass.. Not impressed as I have only owned it for a few weeks

Camera: Like you I'm used to crappy phone pics. But the Streaks are quite good, very good close up shots! With froyo it can shoot 720p.. Check youtube for some samples (Has a strange movement wobble / warping)

TV-OUT: If you buy an official dell streak dock for £50ish then you can play SOME video formats via HDMI.. Don't have one myself and as you say, reviews are scarce. With the help of some free apps it can do DLNA though :)

Gameloft.. No idea sorry

Issues: I'd say lookout for O2 factory lock. Don't know how easy / if they are unlockable :P

[Guest pawdog]

I'm thinking of buying a Streak, upgrading from San Fran running 2.3 with CyanogenMod 7 , which was bought to try out Android. Probably buy secondhand here in France unless I can see something like that £200 Tesco deal that came and went.

I have read quite a few threads on here and I have the impression that I would get more encouragement to buy a Streak from here than the mag/web reviewers that give poor scores because the Streak only had 1.6, 2.1, etc. I am happy using custom roms and mucking about so feel sure that general OS performance is going to be fine.

My questions are about any issues/problems I should research/understand before I buy a Streak. I won't be buying another phone for a while after this, and as much as anything, the Streak is to provide me with a semi tablet experience until something like the Eeee Transformer is old school (even though I'd like one of those at the moment, I have never been able to splash the cash on new tech - prefer to wait for a bargain).

Bit worried about the following:

- build quality is number one concern - I do treat my gadgets very well - is it super fragile or if I look after it, is it likely to withstand decent use ?

- is camera and video quality good enough to convince my wife that we don't need a separate camera/video thing ? This justifies me being able to buy it (its got to be better than the ZTE Blade/San Fran. I used to use our Nokia N95 - brilliant camera and video

- TV-Out - this is one thing I am keen on but does it actually work if I use a custom rom ?? I searched and saw some issues raised but didn't get the categoric yes or no from the threads I found.

- does it play Gameloft games - not a major concern but I can't see how I can play them on the Blade (by editing build.prop to show it as an HTC device) if the Streaks hardware can't handle them. But I thought I saw there might be problems.

- finally, any particular issues I should look out for when buying a secondhand Streak ? Particular builds, or features that are a bit iffy ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to reply.

The Streak is an awesome device. I can't imagine anyone not being happy with it. That said, it is not perfect. I wouldn't use it as a camera replacement. IMO any $150.00 camera can outperform any cell phone camera. The Streak camera can suffice if it's all you have with you.

The build quality is superb but I don't think it is tough, it has a 5 inch piece of glass on it and no matter what kind of glass it is, it is still glass.

The only Gameloft game I have is Avatar, and it plays fine on the Streak.

I don't use my Streak as a phone but strictly as a tablet and it has been so much fun. I don't think it compares with any other device on the market today. Bigger than any phone, smaller that any tablet. If you can get a good price on it you can't go wrong.

[Guest macex]

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to reply.

My suggestion is think twice and then only if you get a good deal.

If you can be happy with 7' tab or 3-4+' htc, stay there. if you absolutely want a 5' then streak is the only one.

Streak is my 1st android phone. So my expectations were low(after an archos) and the streak met it.

it also strikes a sweet spot between being portable and non-portable.

actually everything about this phone is decent. it is just not the best. there are much better android phones out there for the price.

below have mentioned some of my pain areas with the phone. this should by no means makes the phone bad. it just means it has some noticeable niggles.

build quality is good. the phone feels solid.

back panel cover is bad and very inconvenient to remove/reinsert.

as for build, good, except when you try to twist it at the ends.

then it feels like the glass will get separated. but probably a minor thing.

Speaker sound is very good. headphones/sound are quite decent too.

except when while playing music you try to pull out the headphone jack and the music sometimes blares out.

stock firmware is slow. very. you have to use dj-steve's versions to feel its got a 1ghz proc.

battery life not good. i could barely get 1 day in the stock with very light use. steves gives me about 1.5 days of light use.

camera/video is decent. doubt if its as good as an N95. that was awesome.

easy to shake and the cam button is lil awkward.

screen is good. but would be better if it was amoled or something like that. good for viewing movies for a short time.

use of proprietary charge cable is a pain in many parts.

another big pain point: the touchscreen is susceptible to friction/static electricity so that if its kept in pocket for some time, the unlock slider doesnt work for a while. sometimes the touch doesnt respond in some corner areas.

its good for reading, if you can get around the glare.

Good for playing games like angry birds etc

some gameloft works for me. i have some of their christmas freebies installed and they startup. never played in full though.

due to some issues in f/w 1.9.0, i use it mainly as a tablet.

i am happy using it for whatever purpose. also its a different phone, from the run-of-the-mill look-alikes from htc/samsung. makes it special for me at least.

if i had got it a little cheaper, it would have been a less of a torture.

[Guest Gopu]

build - cannot complain at all

camera - Good for outdoor photos and in good light but terrible in low light . there are devices with better camera.

Streak haters mostly complain about its size - i love the large screen estate and its definitely pocketable. Bigger the hand u have the better

What i dont like - Development is very little. We have only one developer team . There is no caynogen support to run a full working rom

[Guest frenchdroid]

Thanks very much for the replies. Gave me plenty to think about and I have had a good read on the issues mentioned.

Weirdly, I am more AND less keen to buy the Streak after reading up a bit more.

The two biggest potential negatives for me now are:

- it "seems" that the LCD screen seems to break easily under the gorilla grass, and possibly the glass comes away from the phone itself a little bit. I have read about this issue in articles and threads I found, plus there seems to be a brisk trade in LCD displays at around £100 a pop (a future cost I don't really want). I also saw a few secondhand Streaks with the glass which has come away from the phone (but which still work), and quite a few "for spares" because the screen was not working.

- the other issue is to do with accessories. I didn't manage to get the full picture on this but I did read about the "HDMI dock is an expensive charger" issue because the TV out doesn't work too well. And I think I also read that to charge it in the car, you have to pay a fortune for a Dell car charger.

So, any thoughts on the above, particularly the screen break issue.

As I said, I do look after my gadgets well - are the LCD issues overhyped (because only people I have problems write threads about the problem, and these are a small minority) or is there a significant likelihood of getting a dodgy Streak that needs replacing ?

And what about the car charger thing - is that really the only way to charge (with a Dell charger) ?

Cheers again

[Guest Azurren]

Thanks very much for the replies. Gave me plenty to think about and I have had a good read on the issues mentioned.

Weirdly, I am more AND less keen to buy the Streak after reading up a bit more.

The two biggest potential negatives for me now are:

- it "seems" that the LCD screen seems to break easily under the gorilla grass, and possibly the glass comes away from the phone itself a little bit. I have read about this issue in articles and threads I found, plus there seems to be a brisk trade in LCD displays at around £100 a pop (a future cost I don't really want). I also saw a few secondhand Streaks with the glass which has come away from the phone (but which still work), and quite a few "for spares" because the screen was not working.

- the other issue is to do with accessories. I didn't manage to get the full picture on this but I did read about the "HDMI dock is an expensive charger" issue because the TV out doesn't work too well. And I think I also read that to charge it in the car, you have to pay a fortune for a Dell car charger.

So, any thoughts on the above, particularly the screen break issue.

As I said, I do look after my gadgets well - are the LCD issues overhyped (because only people I have problems write threads about the problem, and these are a small minority) or is there a significant likelihood of getting a dodgy Streak that needs replacing ?

And what about the car charger thing - is that really the only way to charge (with a Dell charger) ?

Cheers again

For the car charger.. Any 1amp (500ma - 1A, 5V) USB charger and the dell charging cable (Stock, Dells or a 2ish USD one from China) will charge it just fine

Still can't comment on the display.. People drop their phones its very common. People also don't like to admit to dropping it :unsure:

So.. Draw your own conclusions there :)

[Guest LOLOH2]

stock firmware is slow. very. you have to use dj-steve's versions to feel its got a 1ghz proc.

Hi, I'm interested to get Streak too, is your stock firmware v1.6 ? is v2.2 better and faster ?

For the car charger.. Any 1amp (500ma - 1A, 5V) USB charger and the dell charging cable (Stock, Dells or a 2ish USD one from China) will charge it just fine

Still can't comment on the display.. People drop their phones its very common. People also don't like to admit to dropping it :unsure:

So.. Draw your own conclusions there :)

Is the stock data cable serve as a charging cable as well when plug into PC ? any where that I can get a pouch for it to reduce the impact of dropping? thanks.

[Guest 1Quik7]

I've dropped mine a few times out of my pocket onto the Parkay wood floor and it's just bounced around. However, last weekend I was drinking a bit and dropped it face down onto brick...it spider-webbed pretty bad but still functions. Just ordered a replacement off Ebay for $65, gonna do the swap myself, so all in all it's not too disappointing.

I absolutely love my Streak. I'm running OC'd on DJSteve's latest ROM and I get a few days of standby time with around 2 days of decent use out of my battery, which is far better than the g/f's Droid; she has to charge EVERY day.

The only issues I can see with it are the form factor and the PDMI connector.

The 5" form factor is great from a internet/messaging/pocketPC perspective but it's not that comfortable to talk on; the microphone and speaker are hard to keep in the sweet spot. I rarely make phone calls, so this is not of big concern to me. If I were a businessman or in sales, then the Streak wouldn't probably be a choice. And the PDMI connector was just a stupid format to choose, it hasn't really caught on and now we suffer with a lack of accessories and docking choices.

[Guest LOLOH2]

And the PDMI connector was just a stupid format to choose, it hasn't really caught on and now we suffer with a lack of accessories and docking choices.

iphone connector also strange, but everyone accepted it and accessories came out surrounding it, and are expensive, but plp still buy. why plp dislike Dell connector ? !!! I guess buying power low !!!!

Edited May 18, 2011 by LOLOH2

[Guest frenchdroid]

OK - just wanted to say thanks again for the additional responses.

I'm going to try and pick up a Streak now, as I don't fall asleep on my phones, sit down with a phone in my back pocket or generally fling them around :unsure:

Edited May 18, 2011 by frenchdroid

[Guest macex]

Hi, I'm interested to get Streak too, is your stock firmware v1.6 ? is v2.2 better and faster ?

Is the stock data cable serve as a charging cable as well when plug into PC ? any where that I can get a pouch for it to reduce the impact of dropping? thanks.

mine is an unlocked UK phone, initially running 1.6. Upgraded to 2.2. 2.2 was much better.

But now i am running streakdroid 1.9.0. its very good and stable.

yes. the stock cable does both. also heard that the samsung galaxy tab cable charges it too. as does a PDMI cable( from slacker radio etc.,).

i got a Amzer silicone case for it and that feels very good. there are a selection of cases in amazon. Dell itself has 2. i wouldnt recommend the dell leather case. too bulky and makes the streak inconvenient to use as a phone.

[Guest macex]

iphone connector also strange, but everyone accepted it and accessories came out surrounding it, and are expensive, but plp still buy. why plp dislike Dell connector ? !!! I guess buying power low !!!!

Apple connector has been in use for quite a while now. There may not have been any standards at the time and apple has been loyally using this cable for every gadget it brings out. and there are all kinds of interconnecting cables out for it.

Not so with others. like Dell/Samsung. Its actually criminal to enter the fray and put in a brand new connector and then charge so high for it too.

[Guest fards]

personally I find the form factor/size absolutely perfect.

I use my for phone calls quite a lot, I do have big hands (i'm 1.95 m tall) so its better than these silly little things people keep on insisting on using :P

if you're concerned about holding it up to your ear, then use headphones or bluetooth. Paired with a decent stereo headset it keeps me more than happy when cycling.

[Guest macex]

personally I find the form factor/size absolutely perfect.

I use my for phone calls quite a lot, I do have big hands (i'm 1.95 m tall) so its better than these silly little things people keep on insisting on using :P

if you're concerned about holding it up to your ear, then use headphones or bluetooth. Paired with a decent stereo headset it keeps me more than happy when cycling.

how do you manage with the not so consistentbattery life? some days it seems rock solid..and at others seems to drain at will.

also phone app keeps freezing the phone after a call at least does in 1.9.0.

[Guest Azurren]

personally I find the form factor/size absolutely perfect.

I use my for phone calls quite a lot, I do have big hands (i'm 1.95 m tall) so its better than these silly little things people keep on insisting on using :rolleyes:

if you're concerned about holding it up to your ear, then use headphones or bluetooth. Paired with a decent stereo headset it keeps me more than happy when cycling.

I agree entirely. I got the streak because I wanted.a portable android tablet that could make phone calls. Probalbly not so good for those who want a phone that can be used as a tablet.

how do you manage with the not so consistentbattery life? some days it seems rock solid..and at others seems to drain at will.

also phone app keeps freezing the phone after a call at least does in 1.9.0.

Batterylife.. Well its the best I've had so far on an android device :P

Not experianced any call issues.. then again havnt sent or recived any calls on 1.9.0 <_<

[Guest fards]

how do you manage with the not so consistentbattery life? some days it seems rock solid..and at others seems to drain at will.

also phone app keeps freezing the phone after a call at least does in 1.9.0.

Not had any issues with freezing after a call, certainly not on 190, if your having issues check what you have in the logs.. Battery is consistent with the amount of use the device has, sometimes can go for a cope of days sometimes for a few hours

Edited May 18, 2011 by fards

[Guest LOLOH2]

also phone app keeps freezing the phone after a call at least does in 1.9.0.

I guess it's the installation of the 190 that made your phone unstable, try factory reset and reinstall. I got problem with my windows phone with custom ROM as well, I need to reset and fresh reinstall then became stable.

[Guest frenchdroid]

Another question on the Streak - this time a comparison question.

Still trying to pick up a Streak (just realised there are hardly any for sale on ebay in France and the rest of Europe, whereas there are 10x more auctions in the UK - most of which don't ship to France).

Anyway, I'm going to keep trying to get one, but while I was waiting, I was thinking about 4.3"screen devices (although is seems a sacrifice in screen size compared to the Streak).

Has anyone had any experience of owning both the Streak AND the HTC Desire HD ?? If so, I'd be interested in the comments - I'm particularly interested in whether a 4.3" is enough to comfortably use it to read ebooks (I imagine 5" is good enough but not so sure about 4.3").

Thanks

[Guest Darkrose1987]

Hey guys, I'm also looking to upgrade from my San Francisco, rooted with Japanese Jelly 2.2, i absolutely love the style of the streak, the screen looks epic! here's the thing, I'm upgrading because I'm tired of a few issues I've had with my custom ROMS on the San Fran, sometimes on reboot the screen freezes, i have to take the battery out and wait ten minutes before reboot, this usually works but last time it didn't, i had to do a complete re-install, thank god for clockwork eh? (still lost all my data though!) i really want this phone, but need to know if I'm likely to encounter the same issues with the Streak's custom ROMS? especially the 1.9.0 Rom, i read that sometimes the screen orientation messes up? is this still an issue? also shooting video in 720p, is this still possible with these ROMS?

Also id like to know why people seem to prefer this 1.9.0 ROM over the official 2.2 update?

Obviously I'm concerned about the screen one day accidentally breaking, considering taking out an insurance policy on protect your bubble.com for £5.00 a month they will cover the phone, would you recommended this?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys.

DarkRose.

[Guest austreaker]

Hey guys, I'm also looking to upgrade from my San Francisco, rooted with Japanese Jelly 2.2, i absolutely love the style of the streak, the screen looks epic! here's the thing, I'm upgrading because I'm tired of a few issues I've had with my custom ROMS on the San Fran, sometimes on reboot the screen freezes, i have to take the battery out and wait ten minutes before reboot, this usually works but last time it didn't, i had to do a complete re-install, thank god for clockwork eh? (still lost all my data though!) i really want this phone, but need to know if I'm likely to encounter the same issues with the Streak's custom ROMS? especially the 1.9.0 Rom, i read that sometimes the screen orientation messes up? is this still an issue? also shooting video in 720p, is this still possible with these ROMS?

Also id like to know why people seem to prefer this 1.9.0 ROM over the official 2.2 update?

Obviously I'm concerned about the screen one day accidentally breaking, considering taking out an insurance policy on protect your bubble.com for £5.00 a month they will cover the phone, would you recommended this?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys.

DarkRose.

I actually have not use the official 2.2 update (got mine 6 months ago UK model) and so far 1.9 is rock solid. In fact it has restarted once when it kinda freezes a website but that's about it after over a month now.

Don't worry about insurance, invest in a good leather case and you should be fine. By the time you paid the insurance, a new module hopefully would come out and also the Dell Streak 5 would be much cheaper then to replace.

[Guest Darkrose1987]

I actually have not use the official 2.2 update (got mine 6 months ago UK model) and so far 1.9 is rock solid. In fact it has restarted once when it kinda freezes a website but that's about it after over a month now.

Don't worry about insurance, invest in a good leather case and you should be fine. By the time you paid the insurance, a new module hopefully would come out and also the Dell Streak 5 would be much cheaper then to replace.

Thank you very much for the reply, im gunna go for it and get one of these babies, one more question, what games are supported on the 1.9.0 build? does this device do 3d games? Dragon hunter, n.o.v.a, air attack etc?

Many thanks again.

Darkrose.

[Guest docnar]

personally I find the form factor/size absolutely perfect.

I use my for phone calls quite a lot, I do have big hands (i'm 1.95 m tall) so its better than these silly little things people keep on insisting on using :)

if you're concerned about holding it up to your ear, then use headphones or bluetooth. Paired with a decent stereo headset it keeps me more than happy when cycling.

Ditto here..I am a phone freak..I have changed 5 smart-phones to streak and happy since the 1st day..Why?ofcourse the amazing 5 inch screen yet pocketable...I use it for tablet and phone use..i have 3 year old kid who drops my phone atleast once a week, no matter how much i try he stays away from it(he loves playing on it)....no problems ..just get a good case

To sum up streak is for people who:

1.want a hybrid of phone and tablet

2.do have the minimum skills required to flash a rom

3.Are tall and don't feel awkward talking on a big device..

I fail to understand why men crib saying it looks huge as a phone..why the hell do u worry how people look at u when u talk?.. If u want a digitally limited beauty pageant as a phone..go apple guys..Android is for men who use their phones for what they want not for what steve allows them to do.. And its a great looking phone..depends how confident you are using it..