The Dell Streak may have not yet hit US shores, but it’s been available in the UK since June. And, since the Streak is only running Android 1.6, many owners of the Android tablet-turned-smartphone may not know what they’ve been missing. The good news is that might all change, as now we’re seeing this 5-incher running a higher version of the OS – which was totally expected, by the way.
Nope, it’s not Android 2.2 Froyo, but Android 2.1, otherwise known as Eclair – Google has a way with delicious sounding codenames for their mobile operating system. At this point, we can’t be picky, because an upgrade from 1.6 is nonetheless an upgrade. Eclair will provide users with many features that many will be happy about. One thing that seems to have undergone a noticeable improvement is the keyboard. From the picture above, the keyboard on the right looks much nicer, with larger keys that look just that much more usable.
Android 2.1 also brings better social networking integration to the Dell Streak, which allows you to sync contacts with select social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. You’ll also find live wallpapers with this bad boy, and while it’s not a huge feature, they will likely look really nice on the Streak’s massive 5-inch display.
Let’s hope that when the Streak hits the US, Eclair will already be pre-installed. With some smartphones already starting to get Froyo updates, it’s the least Dell could do for this device. And, with bigger versions of the Streak on the way, which will all likely have Android 2.2 Froyo installed out of the box, the Mini 5 Streak needs to offer an initially enjoyable experience initially so people can look forward to what Dell has up its sleeve. Still, with the 7-inch Streak said to be coming in the second half of the year, I’d rather wait for it and see what else the competition delivers us.
For now, we can patiently wait for the Dell streak to come to AT&T. Let’s hope they hurry it up.
[Via: Lilputing]