T-Mobile USA Inc.'s Sidekick, which is based on Danger Inc.'s Hiptop design, is a cool and even addictive wireless PDA, but its phone features leave a lot to be desired.
The Sidekick comes without stylus or touchscreen. Instead, you can accomplish a surprising variety of tasks using an innovative thumbwheel and three-button design: open applications, navigate lists, select bookmarks and launch instant message sessions with just a few button clicks. When you need to type, the Sidekick's screen rotates with a satisfying click to reveal a backlit keyboard that you operate with your thumbs. The keyboard was cramped for my fat fingers. All the standard PDA features are there.
The beautiful active-matrix color display features 240 X 160 resolution. I expected that to present a problem for the lithium ion rechargeable battery, but the Sidekick cruised through a 15-hour day of frequent usage. T-Mobile says you'll get 60 hours of standby time and three and a half hours of talk time. I don't believe the 60-hour figure if you make even moderate use of the wireless data features. I wasn't able to test the talk-time claims reliably.
Where the SideKick really excels is as an instant messaging machine. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is built in, and connecting to the AIM network is a snap. The multitasking Hiptop operating system supports up to 10 simultaneous AIM sessions, which should satisfy even the teenager in your house. It's also handy for flipping between apps while waiting for a Web page to load.
There's also a MIDI synthesizer and multicolored flashing thumbwheel, which makes for great system sounds. But it doesn't come with an MP3 player -- surprising for a device aimed at consumers.
For all the Sidekick's hipness, it has some significant drawbacks. T-Mobile uses the erratic GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) network to deliver data, so throughput and performance depend upon signal strength. Downloads were zippy in downtown Chicago, but slow or nonexistent in the suburbs. The built-in browser mangles Web pages. They're usable, but not pretty. Lack of Javascript support renders some menus unusable. The built-in e-mail client is functional, but couldn't handle Excel or JPG attachments in my tests. T-Mobile says JPGs should load okay.
The SideKick is weakest as a GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) phone. The pudgy design doesn't conform to the face, and you have to press the screen to your cheek, which is awkward and necessitates frequent cleaning. There's also no external keypad. You have to rotate the screen and type on the keyboard, which is incredibly clumsy. It's ironic that a phone company should sell a device that is such a lousy phone.
Regardless, T-Mobile has come up with a sexy wireless data device at an attractive price. With phone and all-you-can-eat data plans beginning at $39.99 per month, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sidekick gracing many teenage hips after the holidays.
