The Dell Streak is certainly a unique phone, and as much is true of its custom accessories. They’re a pricey bunch, so we’ve been testing them all out this week for you to find out which ones are actually worth the extra moolah. Read on and find out how they fared right here in our full Dell Streak accessory review round up.
Read the rest of our Dell Streak review now:
Dell Streak review
Dell Streak review: Build and touchscreen
Dell Streak review: The first true tablet phone?
Dell Streak review: Android OS
Dell Streak review: Ultimate buyer’s guide
Dell Streak car kit
£54.99
4/5
We said at the time of our Dell Streak review that its 5-inch screen made it the best Android phone yet for Google Maps Navigation in your car (Or any other satnav app for that matter, like CoPilot). That’s still true, and taking one across London for a spin attached to the Dell Streak car kit made it even more convenient. The tablet slots right in and simply stays there, whether you twist the end upside down or not, and the clamp for the windscreen keeps a vice like grip. The plastic neck is also surprisingly malleable, letting you bend it any direction to better suit your height and viewing angle. The Dell Streak car kit accessory also comes with a USB cable and cigarette lighter adaptor, for saving battery life on long road trips.
If we have any complaints, it’s that the stalk is too long, and as a result exacerbates vibrations in your car’s windscreen. The upshot is your Dell Streak is constantly shaking, which can be a tad distracting – but don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. That, and the outrageous price for what is nothing more than a piece of plastic (It doesn’t amplify the GPS signal or pull any tricks with Blueooth) – but we’ll be honest, the Dell Streak really is an astounding satnav, and the car kit makes it more so.
Dell Streak leather wallet case
£32
3/5
We like the intentions behind the Dell Streak leather wallet case. At a glance, it does give it a touch of class. We can’t fault the material, nor the business card slip or kickstand for propping your Dell Streak up at an angle.
But the Dell Streak is already a mammoth mobile, and the case only adds to the bulk. It’s like carrying a second huge wallet around with you, and will cause a dubious bulge in your pocket that may get the wrong sort of looks in public.
There’s also the issue of weighting. The Dell Streak leather wallet case doesn’t lie flat when open like it does on the official photos. The leather bends up if you don’t have something to hold it down. It’s not an issue if you’re going to plonk a Bluetooth keyboard down in front of it, but it is if you’re going to watch a movie on the train.
Finally, we’re not entirely convinced the Dell Streak needs a case. It’s not a delicate flower, susceptible to signal failure or scratches, thanks to its Gorilla Glass panel. While we haven’t gone out of our way to smash our Dell Streak up, we’re confident it’ll survive a clatter or four. Why clog up your pocket by sandwiching it in a case?
Dell Streak Home AV dock kit
£54.99
2/5
It’s a pity that the best looking of the Dell Streak accessories is also the worst one. The problem isn’t really with the build – it’s firm, sleek and easy to slot the handset into. Nor is it with the lack of HDMI cable in the box – it uses HDMI rather than the fiddly mini HDMI slot seen on newer smartphones, so you may well have a cable knocking around already. It’s what it outputs, which is not very much.
The trouble is that the dock only activates when you try to play a natively supported video on the Dell Streak. That’s right, no output of YouTube videos, the browser or photos. Just videos, and well, the Dell Streak’s native codec support is awful: AVI and MKV files are a no go, and our test unit wouldn’t even open H.264 encoded MP4 files. Anyone with visions of downloading RockPlayer and cranking out any video format under the sun to your HDTV will be sorely disappointed (Believe us, we tried).
In other words, you’re pretty much left to playing back videos you recorded on the Dell Streak itself, and since on the current Android 1.6 build only standard definition recording is supported, it looks seriously pixelly on a big HDTV, even if playback is smooth.
For £54.99, and even when 720p recording arrives with the Android 2.1 update for the Dell Streak, there’s no way we can recommend the Home AV dock kit. It’s fiddly and overpriced, and nowhere near as convenient as either using HDMI built into a phone (like the Motorola Milestone XT720) or streaming using a phone with DLNA support like the Samsung Galaxy S, and a network friendly set top box, PS3 or Xbox 360, if you have one already.
Dell Streak USB cable
£23.99
We’re not going to rate this one, as sadly, it’s all too necessary. While we love the build of the Dell Streak, its one flaw is the proprietary USB connection, meaning you have to use the cable in the box to charge, or shell out for another one sold exclusively through Dell’s store for an outrageous price. Only Apple can get away with not using micro USB these days, and that’s only because iPods are already so prevalent. Luckily, you get a USB cable included in the Dell Streak car kit, so if you buy that, you probably won’t need to get another spare still – unless you’re really forgetful.
Of the Dell Streak accessories we’ve tested, we’re actually most taken with the car kit. It’s pricey, but effective, and does include a spare USB cable, which you would be paying £23.99 for anyway. Do you have a Dell Streak and disagree? Share your advice in the comments below!
Read the rest of our Dell Streak review now:
Dell Streak review
Dell Streak review: Build and touchscreen
Dell Streak review: The first true tablet phone?
Dell Streak review: Android OS
Dell Streak review: Ultimate buyer’s guide
