Due to land in the UK this Friday (June 4th), the Streak is free when you sign up to an O2 mobile broadband deal from £25 per month, which entitles you to an as yet unspecified data allowance. Opt for a £35 per month contract option and you’ll get unlimited data and voice calls.

If you’re not au fait with the Streak know this: it’s running the latest, thus-far greatest version 2.1 version of Android and uses a super fast Snapdragon processor. That means that it’s a doozie at multi-tasking. And come the arrival of the recently announced 2.2 and 3.0 editions of Android, it’ll be even quicker.

Plus, as with all devices using Google’s operating system, Streak owners will be able to choose from tens of thousands of free and paid-for apps from the Android Market online software store.

Adding to its appeal is the fact that the Streak is a compact and bijou five inches, compared to the iPad’s relatively chunky 9.7-inches. And unlike Apple’s tablet, Dell’s entry to the burgeoning market allows you to make calls and packs a five megapixel camera and Flash 10.1 support.

Unfortunately for Dell, the Streak isn’t likely to be beneficiary of the kind of hysteria that manifested itself at Apple stores across the globe last week for the iPad launch. But if that means that you won’t have to join an aeons-long waiting list to get one, so much the better…