When Best Buy starting selling the Dell Streak for $249.99 a few weeks ago, the $50 savings off the regular subsidized price was considered a pretty nice deal. Today, however, that price almost looks like highway robbery, with the retailer now selling the 16GB Streak in both black and white for just $99.99 with a new two-year contract with AT&T.
The black Streak can be purchased online or in stores, while the white one continues to be an in-store exclusive.
You'll find no such deal at Dell.com, where the 16GB device in black and now cherry red holds steady at its original $299.99 launch price, so if you want to save some serious cash on a new Streak, then Best Buy is the place to go.
[Best Buy] Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
There’s that Pang of buyers remorse I was waiting for. Oh well, still better than if AT+T started selling the HD2 or HD7. Peace
regular price 499 0_o? wonder if this means that dell will drop the price from 549 to 499 or is this best buy undercutting dell to move units?- mind begins to swirl-
So, if I would bought the streak on nov. 22nd, can. I return it and then rebuy? I’d save 2 hundred.
I just called Best Buy, if it’s within 30 days of purchase they’ll give you the full refund of $200 no questions asked. Just call them at 1-888-BEST-BUY. It took me like 5 mins and the lady sent in a request for my card to be credited the difference
oh god… do I buy now? Or do I dare wait until January to see the official Froyo build? (and any problems that might come with an ATT locked device)
I can’t tell you how bad I want this phone, and how bad I want it to be brilliant.
Great! Thanks for the heads up. Tomorrow will be exactly 3 weeks. With the spending i’ve done for the christmas, the extra $200 is a super bonus.
I like the phone, but i’d really like the froyo update. not having flash or being able to download apps that require 2.1 or higher is a total chafe. “Hopefully” we’ll see it in mid-january.
I know, that’s my main problem with it. I mean I like the phone, but god do I want/need 2.2. This is just getting ridiculous at this point
I bought mine on release day and have no regrets. It’s been a great device.
My main worry with all the crazy ups and downs is that the Streak is going to fail and be discontinued and that no one else will pick up the 5″ screen mantle. It’s really the perfect size.
Oh, and Holy Crap! That’s a big price drop. That’s like, “We bought a bunch and need to unload them” price drop. Worries me…
I’ve already gone in to get the $50 back from when they dropped it down to $249.99 from $299.99, I wonder if they’ll let me do another price adjustment now to the $99.99 price point? I’m still within my 30 days of purchasing the device.
would certainly try!
I love my Streak (with DJ_Steve’s FroYo and pixel density set to 200, it is finally as snappy and usable as my prior Samsung Captivate), but poor marketing + poor market timing + and poor software and no updates = EPIC FAIL. I will keep mine until it is a collector’s item, though. At least the hardware is solid. Dell did a good job on that.
(Maybe I’m just mad because I paid full price) – oh well, so goes technology!
By shear luck I noticed the new lower price while I was doing some Christmas shopping today. I purchased my Streak from BestBuy exactly 45 days ago, thank goodness for silver premiere membership 45 day return policy. I got my $200 back.
If you wait until Jan, Best Buy might not carry the streak anymore and you might be forced to pay $300 from Dell.com.
Of course it’s $99 now. I’m 5 days past my return period on it.
Price match!! No returned needed.
As expected….. hello 2011 the year of the gingerbread and dual core cpu will be the standard. Goodbye to the soon to be faced out streak hello nexus s.
i just returned my streak to optus (australia) as i was unable to upgrade to official update (getting “FOTA model mismatch……” error message. hope fully i might get a new streak else might get the same old streak with 2.2 upgrade
wish i could get accessories sold officially in australia as currenlty we have no option to buy them from website or from network provider.
really need a spare usb cable
Just picked up my Streak at BB. $150 with the $99 + Bull$hit “tax on full price”.
Starting the process of going to go to 2.2 now. Will probably be up all night……
As soon as I read the title of this article I ordered my streak online
Thank you so much Jenn! XD
I can’t wait until it comes in!
Just head over to the xda developers section, or the user forums here. Grab a copy of the QDL repair tool, read the instructions, watch the video and in 15 minutes you’ll be running 2.2
I did, and have had NO issues…2.2 makes this beast even better.
If you use the QDL repair tool, you’ll have it up to 2.2 (minus at&t crap) in less than 20 minutes.
DONE!!! I didn’t even bother playing with 1.6, straight to 2.2 and never looking back!
FIRE SALE. Man, I paid $600 with tax and shipping on the day they first became available…
As time goes by, it just goes to show that when you think your the man (or woman) for having a bad ass device, the price drops to where EVERYONE can get it. You no longer can rain supreme. I hate that!
Anyone know if by “Reg. price $499.99″ it means the device can be bought at Best Buy with no contract/commitment?
When I got mine in mid October, after reading a lot of headaches with updating, I held off, but two things pushed
me over to try it. 1. AT&T delaying the update, 2. The QDL repair tool.
Once I found that, it was a no brainer to update.
update: called today. the woman was very nice, but clueless (literally). couldn’t do it over the phone. have to go to store bought from. Not a big deal, but would’ve preferred over the phone. I’ll try calling the stores mobile ctr before i actually go there. but it’s worth any hassle.
I might have to buy a 2nd “just in case” streak.
You see, AT&T and Dell thankfully were incompetent enough to not communicate fully when i bought mine… I got Contract Price, But AT&T still has me as “eligible for an upgrade”, in their records
That and I’m sitting here with a shattered LCD on my current one, waiting for Dell to send me the replacement(should be here tomorrow)… their communication with AT&T may suck as bad as their Update cycle… but their Customer service rocks and they are sending my a replacement Streak FREE.
Hmmmm… Decisions Decision. Kids don’t need any more Christmas Present right? LOL
Just took mine in for a price match and saved $200!
Today was 30 days for me.
I’m enjoying my $100 streak even more than the $300 version.
Thanks for the heads up!
OMG! I’m going over there today after work!
Does this work for those with contracts but can upgrade? I dont want to loose my unlimited internet.
just got my refund!!!!!!! yay!!!
i bought mine November 13th too lol
thank god for streaksmart
I got my refund as well and was technically over the 30 day period. I exchanged a phone to get my streak and the first one was 36 days ago. No questions asked so I was surprised at how good their customer service was.
A huge thank you to Jenn for posting this as I tend to not look at prices on tech after I buy….cause things like this happen.
It looks like it. Just click add to package, then I’m a current att customer, replace: no contract extension. Shows up as $499 plus tax.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I just found your site about a week ago and I was checking your headlines this evening and I saw this article – now keep in mind I just bought my phone on Nov. 21 so I was within my 30 days – I drove to BB immediately and they reimbursed over $200!!!! Now I feel REALLY GOOD about my STREAK!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!
I just did TONIGHT after I saw this and YES they reimbursed me immediately – less than five minutes!
just picked my streak up yesterday!!! ran into some trouble in the BB here in pittsburgh. on their site when i ordered it i had to select a data plan even though i chose to keep my existing plan. that was conflicting with some stuff in the computer they had. but they were very helpful and everything was worked out i kept my existing plan and walked out with my streak. they were amazed at how big the phone was and one chick was going around showing people how big it was. then they started asking me all kinds of questions about it. the people i showed it to as work all loved it. they said it looks like a mini laptop. tonight im going to retry gettin froyo on this thing. last night i tried but i do believe i misread some steps so ima sit down and really read over what i have to do. its already rooted just waiting to get froyo.
2nd update: went in store, they only needed receipt, took less than 5 to get done. $214 back in my acct. I feel much better. Just need froyo
I work for Dell and this deal is way better than my employee discount. Streak hits the sweet spot of tablet portability (iPad is a bloated giant in comparison). And now for 99 bucks at BestBuy?? That’s just awesome. If you don’t have one yet, you’re fresh out of excuses. Get thee to a BestBuy..
ps..this post represents my PERSONAL opinion. I’m not in Sales or Marketing, and I do not speak on behalf of Dell. I just dig our products and love working there
Could you perhaps provide more info on how they were able to keep your existing data plan? I went in, and they said I had to change it to a current plan, which I’m not about to do ($20 Smartphone Unlimited from 4 years back). The rep even showed me the data plan screen he was stuck on, and how it would not let him continue without selecting a new data plan…
hee hee…
been eyeing the streak at BB for over a month.
last week, i almost bit the bullet when it dropped to $250.
then last night say the deal on “dealnews.com”and grabbed a white one for $99 but got hit with the stupid full price tax.
i gotta take a look at that BS law…
i had the BB dude (thanks tony from union city, ca BB) for calling whoever…
minutes of worrying… tada!
been an iphone user when unlimited data was the norm.
so i got carried over…
weeeeee…….
They would have to call AT&T and speak to someone that’s a little higher up and has access to old account settings. When I purchased my Streak I came from an iPhone with the $30.00 unlimited data plan and the Best Buy I went to had an AT&T representative on staff that called in and had everything transferred over so I could keep unlimited data. That’s really your only way to keep the unlimited data plans. Best Buy and AT&T store locations don’t have access to any data plans outside of the current $15.00 and $25.00 plans.
When I went in I had a similar problem – I have an unlimited blackberry plan with 200 text messages. They had to call a number, explain the situation to the person on the phone. They then processed the contract, including changing the data plan, and the person on the phone fixed it on the back end.
To ensure things worked out they way they needed to, I had them write and sign the contract stating that they were going to make sure I kept my unlimited data.
They gave me a hard time when the price dropped to $250 (They said it was sold out online, so they didn’t have to price match). I think its a good thing – I just got back from saving $216. THIS time they didn’t give me a problem at all. I used some of that to buy the Otterbox Commuter case.
I had no issues with mine… In fact, AT&T happened to have a FREE upgrade sale, so no upgrade fee(s). I just took out my old SIM and put it in the new Dell Streak and viola! The only issue would be if you were using an iPhone because they generally have to de-activate the card first. If they are telling you that you can’t keep your unlimited data plan, they are just talking crap.
Thanks everyone, went back and the BB rep was able to get it done!