The tablet race is still going strong, so it’s no surprise to see that companies like Dell are still pushing the devices, especially in as many different size variations as they can. We’ve already seen the original Dell Streak make its way to the market, but its 5-inch display size couldn’t do much to take on the larger-screened competitors. When Dell unveiled their 7-inch version, rumors regarding a larger 10-inch version were already heavy in the air. And now it looks like the rumored device is getting ready to find its way to the consumer, but when faced with already pressing competition, and with even better competitors coming down the line, can the Dell Streak Pro compete?
Unfortunately, the specifications for the Dell Streak Pro are unconfirmed at this point, so all of these are subject to change in some fashion by the time the tablet launches. If the tablet launches at all. In any event, recent rumors suggest that the device will feature a 10-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280x800. Around the back of the device, there’s a 5-megapixel camera, while a 2MP version rests on the front. There will be 1GB of memory, an SDHC memory card slot, and under the hood you’ll find a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 T20 processor. The tablet will launch with a version of Honeycomb, but which version still remains to be talked about. To add to the icing on the cake, the Streak Pro may launch with AT&T LTE connectivity as well. Storage options will come in 16, 32, or 64GB varieties.
These stats for a tablet, especially of that size, are starting to become standard, so the Dell Streak Pro isn’t coming to the market with any real outstanding features. And let’s face it, with Android 3.1 now available on the Motorola XOOM, there’s a real chance here that if the Streak Pro launches in June, it will land with an already outdated version of Android’s tablet OS.
The 10-inch tablet market may not be completely saturated yet, but it’s certainly getting there. And in the process, we’re starting to see a lot of similar models from different manufacturers. Of course, that’s to be expected, as differentiating the hardware is pretty hard, especially when the manufacturers are trying to save money on the costs of manufacturing. But, not even looking at the competition that’s already available, the Dell Streak Pro pales in comparison to HTC’s upcoming Puccini tablet device. The Puccini’s 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8660 processor makes that device stand out quite a bit, and the rumored inclusion of AT&T’s LTE connectivity just gives it one more dot in the features list.
Of course, the Puccini isn’t an official device yet, either, so its features are just part of the rumor mill as well. But, if these things do come true, then the Puccini will be the tablet device to beat for the foreseeable future. And that makes me wonder if the Dell Streak Pro even stands a chance. Furthermore, if it does launch in June and doesn’t launch with Android 3.1, is the tablet already one that consumers will overlook?
Do you think that the Dell Streak Pro will be your next tablet? Or are other devices on your radar that you’re much more willing to slap down your hard-earned money for? And do you think the Streak line-up is one worthy of attention, or should Dell start to focus their attention on revamping their tablet family? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
