Dell Streak Pricing To Match Apple iPad

The Carphone Warehouse has leaked the UK pricing details for Dell’s answer to the hugely popular Apple iPad, according to a number of media reports.

The Dell Streak will be available free on contract or for £429, which coincidentally is the exact same price for the cheapest Apple iPad (Wi-Fi only, 16GB  model).

Last month Dell surprised many people when it announced the imminent launch of the Streak, a small tablet with a 5-inch screen, half the size of the iPad. It added to the surprise when it said that the device would be launched first in the UK, ahead of the US.

Form Factor Debate

The PC maker had hinted at a tablet running the Android operating system in a recent conference call, and a prototype was shown at the CES show earlier this year. Dell is to launch the Streak on 4 June on the O2 network, and it will also be available from Carphone Warehouse stores. However many have questioned whether Streak is actually a tablet, or rather a large smartphone.

What is sure is that the Streak will arrive ahead of other tablet rivals, such as HP (whose Slate is due in October) and Google (which is working on a tablet with Verizon). Meanwhile BT has also promised to launch a tablet phone.

Unlike the Apple iPad, the Streak has a front-facing camera and a 5 Megapixel lens with autofocus and a dual LED flash. Also unlike the iPad, it can run Adobe’s Flash and comes with 32GB of storage with an SD card, as well as 3G and Wi-Fi.

Free On Contract

The Dell Streak will be priced at £429 with no contract, but if a user signs a £25 per month contract they can get the device for free. A £35 a month contract will also offer voice and unlimited data, although there is no official confirmation from either Carphone or O2 at this stage.