Dell Streak 7 gets ad treatment

Dell's plans for a seven-inch Streak were confirmed today as a leaked treatment for a TV ad has given away some of the details. Now known to be called the Streak 7, the larger tablet will still use Android 2.2 with Dell's custom Stage UI. The primary differences Engadget spotted in the ad copy should be the addition of Blio Reader for e-books and fast graphics for gaming.

The ad doesn't give any immediate indications that the Streak 7 should be the same as the Opus One rumored earlier. In that claim, Dell would move to a dual-core 1.2GHz chip and a 1280x800 screen. A dual-core chip is possible if not certain as most other tablet makers are going the same route in 2011, but most may stop at 1GHz early on and might be limited in resolution.

A reworking of Dell's slogan is in the works with the ad and would change from a generic "the power to do more" to "you can tell it's Dell."

The Streak 7 is near certain to be unveiled at Dell's keynote on January 6, but how soon it would launch afterwards isn't clear. With an ad in development, however, the company may avoid the embarrassment surrounding delays for the original Streak. While it had been showing in working form at CES this year, the company didn't ship to the US until August and still ended up using an outdated copy of Android 1.6 where most had already moved on to Android 2.2.

Dell has been in the middle of a newfound concentration on mobile that is known to be including a much expanded catalog of smartphones and tablets in 2011. Its campaign in 2010 was mostly to claim a foothold in the mobile space and avoid losing too much ground to fellow computer makers, especially Apple, but its slow development times and inexperience after years of absence led to a muted response. Larger tablets like the Streak 7 and expected 10-inch models will put it in in more direct competition with the iPad as well as fellow Android users like HTC, LG and Samsung.

By Electronista Staff