Compras Nikon Bluetooth |
It also provides up to 6 MB of email storage, and users with AOL accounts (not included) can sign on and access, manage, and set up as many as three different POP3 e-mail accounts and use AOL Instant Messenger to chat with anyone on your AOL Buddy List. The device also sports a customizable address book that lets you give favorite contacts their own ring tones, blinking light, and their own caller ID picture, taken with an available attachable camera. The camera also works for taking pictures of just about anything else that strikes your fancy, for easy storage or emailing to other interested parties.
The Sidekick's PDA functions include wireless synchronization to your desktop, configurable notifications to alert you to important events and information, a personal information manager (calendar, address book, notes, etc.) backlighting, a clock, and a thumb control for the included arcade-style games Rock & Rocket and Snowbored.
Cell phone features include a text message indicator, voice mail button, voice mail indicator, volume select/display, and a signal strength indicator. Cell phone features include built-in paging, caller id, conference calling, call waiting and call hold, customer care, access to directory assistance, emergency calls, detailed billing, voicemail with message alert, call forwarding, international dialing, call restrictions, lock alarm, call timers, redial, missed call indicator, call log, any-key answer, auto-answer, auto-redial, speed dial, mute control, no-answer transfer, one-touch 911, vibrating ring, and differential ring. Its phone book capacity is 2000 entries.
Measuring 4.6 x 2.6 x 1.1 inches, the color Sidekick weighs 6.02 oz, and includes a headphone jack, hands-free headset, and a Lithium ion battery (average manufacturer rated talk time: 3.5 hours; standby time: 60 hours).
Just one month after getting it, the phone malfunction. The display won't flip properly when you open the cover. However, TMobile was quick to get me a replacement.
There are a tons of really nice features on this phone. Unlimited data is included, which no other carriers could even come close. You can access emails, AIM, games, web browser (thou somewhat limited), and more impressively, it displays Asian language characters.
However, all these features come a a price. The device is HUGE and HEAVY! It seems fun to have it for the first month or so, but after awhile, it became very annoying. Many times, I had to leave this brick at home because it was just too heavy to take it where I need to go. You just can't put it in a shirt pocket or your pants or anything that covers it.
Even worse, if you put it in your pants, the phone 80% of the time would not have reception. This is utterly unacceptable. I even tested this problem by bringing another TMobile phone and the other one is showing full strength. And every so often, you will see the phone showing "SIM not ready." You have to turn the thing on and off several times before this problem would be fixed. Each time you do so, it takes a good 2-3 minute. So if you are in an emergency, don't expect this phone save you. I had that happened to me once.
I would not recommend this phone to anyone. I would advice to avoid this for now until it becomes much smaller with the reception problem fixed.
So if you want a phone to be used only in emergencies, avoid this phone at all cost!!!
The Original Review:
I am as picky of a techie as one gets. I want form AND I want function in all of my gadgets. And I waited a good while before I finally took the plunge on the Sidekick. Some people think I'm crazy for leaving Verizon Wireless for T-Mobile JUST for a new phone. But let me tell you -- this Sidekick phone ROCKS! I'm a Usability Engineer by trade, and this phone is a case study in good usability. I was up and running on it in no time. The display of the operating system is gorgeous, and the quality of making calls is exceptional. YES, there are a few drawbacks. 1 -- it's big. (But seriously, don't you kinda feel ridiculous putting those tiny little phones up to your ear that practically get lost in your hand?) 2 -- the Sidekick wireless network isn't available everywhere, but so far for me -- most everywhere. and 3 -- it's big. (Did I mention it's big?) But if you are looking for a device that lets you use your AOL Instant Messenger account, browse the web, make calls, play games, use applications, etc. -- all from a beautiful color screen with a QWERTY keyboard (!!) -- then this is definitely the phone for you. (And it doesn't hurt that people will constantly be looking over your shoulder saying, "Hey! That's a really cool phone ya got there!") T-Mobile may not have the same reliability for coverage that Verizon Wireless has, but they sure have a better selection of phones. So it's up to you to weigh the pros and cons -- but I'd recommend the Sidekick in a heartbeat!
T-mobile will not stand by thier words. They say i will have to take that with Amazon. Iam just getting tossed around. Its VERY BAD T-MOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Period. Things happen, but we need good people to take care of you and for the money you are paying.
The bottom line
-The phone has great features for the price
-The service providers for the phone and the plan SUCKS.
-DOnt buy this phone if you want to downgrade your plan ever, that does not include data service.
Hope this helps.
The Danger OS is easy-to-use and supports the system, but it creates the system's few limitations. Because the OS' code is proprietary, not much software development goes on.
With Unlimited plans going for 30-40 dollars, though, the Sidekick is a must-have for connecting on the go. T-Mobile's little computer will certainly become your communication sidekick.
and furthermore... T-mobile doesn't suck... I have not had any problem with them... the only time you might have a problem is if you don't pay your bill ON TIME!! Which I do, and I have NEVER had a problem with service or anything... Sure, if you wanna pay out of your nose for AT&T or SPRINT... You might as well go with Verizon -- the people who CAN'T HEAR YOU NOW! Go right ahead...
In fact, I have had nothing but good things from T-mobile... Like a CREDIT LIMIT INCREASE!! and they totally suprised me with it!! Let's see Verizon, AT&T and Sprint TOP THAT!
First, the phone/PDA and why it's terrible:
1. You can IMPORT contacts and dates into the Sidekick, but you cannot EXPORT contacts and dates. That means, once you begin to rely on this for your address book and date book, you're totally dependent on it in the future, because there is no way to get that information back into your Palm, your Outlook, etc.
2. It is impossible/extremely dangerous to use while driving. It really takes two hands to use this phone, no matter how dexterous you are, and well -- it's just not safe to use unless you're pulled over.
3. The Calendar interface is extremely difficult to use on the handheld. It's not so bad on the Web-based desktop, but it's very hard to see all of your appointments more than a couple of days at a time.
4. It breaks/fails all the time. So far, I've had to hard-reset the thing at least 3 times, and I've already had to send it back to T-mobile for repairs once.
5. Little/no 3rd party software that is compatible. That means you're stuck with the three games that they have available, and no other means of getting other applications, i.e., expense reporter, etc.
6. The Web Browser is not java-enabled. I can't even begin to tell you how this makes this soooo useless.
7. POP3 mail retrieval is spotty at best. You often have to force retrieval of mail, and even then, you don't always get it.
8. The information that you enter into the Sidekick is not downloadable to the T-mobile SIM card. Now, the point of the SIM card to is to store all of your information, both as a consumer and a user, so you could move your SIM card to another phone and preserve all of your telephone numbers, etc. Well, since you can't download that information to the SIM card, when you move it to another phone, guess what? You have to enter ALL of your numbers again. What a waste of time!
9. The web-based desktop interface is SUPPOSED to automatically sync wirelessly with the handheld. Bah! It does not. It will not show all of the contacts you load, and sometimes not your appointments. Hello! How unhelpful is that?
T-Mobile Service:
1. Has given me inconsistent information about the actual handheld itself -- on every single call that I have made to them -- I estimate I have called them about 20 times in the past two months.
2. Has deliberately lied to me about their policies.
3. Has told me that they would credit my account/not charge me for certain items/services, and then gone ahead and charged me anyway.
4. Has told me that my issues with the phone and their service are "not [their] problem"! Umm, hello!!! Aren't you Customer Service?
5. Are just downright rude sometimes -- I've been hung up on several times -- these are not dropped calls, since I haven't called them from the phone ever (since it was broken most of the time). No, it was very, very deliberate.
Save your money -- actually, save your aggravation. Buy a Handspring Treo instead. My husband has one, and he loves it. Plus, Palm service is sooooo much better!
1.it is so annoyin to keep flippin it open sometimes!
2.I haven't figured out how to delete an speed dial# w/out deleting it from my add. book!
3.The ringtones are very unpopular..i mean there is no need for the tones to sound as it they came from petSmart(moo!,dog barkin..etc)
4.I recieve an OTa like ever 3 months=no fun!
5.If it drops it feels as if you've just gotten into an car wreck *its an horrible feeling beacuse u know its really all downhill* because the KICK will neva be the same!
6.If you're goin out it cant come with u it is too fragile for the dance floor! So you're out of a phone 4 the nite!
7.the sim card may not be ready for no reason at all, it may take an half an to be ready!
8.If u have bought almost every accessory for it in the world and sometime they are hard to find..and they may not work either,i.e. the burger king type headset(wraps underear with long mic) it pops! i have been through 5! also i feel its givin off some kind of radiation im havin earaches, my ears even pops when i switch ears or not even wearin it!..now that's no JOKE! Not to mention since its uncomfrontable i dont always keep it in my ear it starts burnin, so when someone calls they hear alot of scratchin and movin',that's me trynna get it in! it is so embrassing!
9.its not worth the money!I have put nearly $600 into my KICK that's with accessories only, not to mention the soul taken contract!
10.Last but not least..i just hate the phone all together! It is like a child that will never leave the house and demands for attention, i have the patience for the KICK but it has a mind of its own i will never purhase another sidekick...!
So I waited 3 weeks to get my replacement. When I called and asked for a credit for the amount of time that I was not able to use my phone, they only gave me $7! I tried to be pollite because I know what its like to be in customer service, but the representative just gave me a bad attitude. It was absolutely the worst customer service experience I've ever had.
Save yourself the headache and go with Sprint or AT&T.
As for the phone itself, its a cool idea, but the internet is really slow. I've tried using it to look up bus schedules and train schedules, but unless you have a lot of time and are able to wait for the information to load, you'll be really frustrated.
The Sidekick does score some points in being developer friendly, meaning that you can write your own programs in java for it. I also like the AOL messenger feature which is about the only thing I really use.
As a phone, its just plain embarassing to hold up such a big and bulky piece of equipment to talk into. I find myself using the earpiece cable rather than holding the phone up to my ear to use it. But using the earpiece is a hassle when you have an incoming call and you have to try and untangle the wires before you take the call.
In my opinion, dont buy this. You will be much better off spending the money on an ipod or blackberry or some other piece of cool gadgetry.
I am now waiting for my THIRD sidekick in three months. The first one purchased through Amazon was fun when it worked, but reception was pretty lousy and then the device stopped connecting to the network one day. I'd had it about 5 weeks. It would power up, but I couldn't make calls or connect to the net. I called T-Mobile for a replacement.
Them: "There's a three-week back-order on the phone."
Me: "What am I supposed to do until then?"
Them: "Oh, we'll give you a credit for when you don't have a phone".
How nice of them huh? That credit was $5, which when I worked out the numbers of my service plan, my phone costs me about $1.70 a day. After getting a replacement about 12 days later, I called and demanded a credit that was an accurate reimbursement for how long I'd been without a phone. They agreed.
That 2nd Sidekick lasted about two weeks and broke last Saturday, March 6th. I've had T-Mobile since around January 2nd, 2004, by the way. So I call T-Mobile.
Them: "The phone is on four week back order."
Me: "That is unacceptable, I need a phone for a business trip in a week. If I can't get a Sidekick, I want a Motorola V300 or that Samsung one".
Them: "They're $150 for the Motorola, and $250 for the Samsung, sir".
Me: "Why should I shell out another $150 for a phone, when I paid over $200 for the Sidekick and the piece of junk doesn't work? I haven't even received my mail in rebates for it!".
Them: "That's all we can do. Otherwise you can get a loaner from a T-Mobile store in your area".
Me: "Fine, I'll do that."
Little do I know that all the T-Mobile stores in the Chicago area are completely out of the cheap, loaner Nokias. I call many stores, none have any. I call T-Mobile back, absolutely irate.
Me: "No one has loaner phones, and I'm waiting for a new Sidekick, MY THIRD, that is on four week backorder. I expect T-Mobile to send me a phone as a loaner".
Them: "We can't do that sir, only the stores have phones to loan out".
Me: "Unacceptable as they DO NOT have any phones to loan out. I want out of my contract with T-Mobile or I want a replacement, different phone for free."
Them: "To get out of your contract is $200. A replacement phone like the one you want is $150."
Me: "This is awful. I'm expected to go without a phone, while I continue to stay in a contract that I'm locked into, isn't this some kind of blackmail? Either I pay the $200 or you'll wreck my credit by reporting me? All the while I don't have a phone because your piece of junk phone can't last more than few weeks?"
Them: "I'm sorry, that's all we can do."
Me: "Well I'm not paying the early termination fee."
Them: "That's your choice, sir."
This went on for nearly 45 minutes last night, the culmination of which was some serious yelling on my part. They said I was being unreasonable. I guess T-Mobile customers are expected to live without a cell phone while they have T-Mobile (DIS)service.
The situation was sort of resolved when they agreed to pay for a rental from T-Mobile rentals. I called them and it's $5 a day which is going to cost T-Mobile a pretty penny if it really takes them another 4 weeks to get me a new Sidekick. Then I'm sure it will break again and I'll be back to square one with this. Also, the rental people are a totally separate T-Mobile company so it will be interesting to see how I get my reimbursement.
Please, PLEASE be aware of the situation when you go into a contract with T-Mobile and especially if you want a Sidekick. Other Amazon reviews (unfortunately written after I bought mine) are noting the same problems with the phones breaking. In case you're wondering, I treat the phone like gold and have not dropped it or mistreated it. As I said, it still powers up, but just doesn't connect to the network.
T-Mobile obviously cares nothing for their customers, keeping them happy, or the inconvenience they're causing by selling faulty equipment. I had AT&T GSM service before and I thought they were bad! I guess the grass is not always greener on the other side? Buyer beware!!
If you have alot of money to throw around and want to buy an unreliable product that is cool when it works, then definitely buy the Sidekick. Also, buy yourself a backup phone to use for when your Sidekick eventually breaks. If you do not have alot of money to waste, then hold off and wait to buy a similiar device from a competetor. Unfortuntely, there are not really many similar phones out there right now, but it looks like some could be coming in the future from companies who know how to make reliable products. Danger is not one of those companies and they will probably not be around much longer.
The phone is big. That's pretty much expected and normal since it's a PDA with a full keyboard; however all they provide you with to carry it in is a chintzy belt clip.
However, while the device itself is good, the service is horrible. I had previously used a Nokia 3390, a cheap entry-level phone which, like the Sidekick, also used T-Mobile's GSM network and had a built-in antenna. The 3390 had given me good reception pretty much everywhere in the metropolitan area. However, the Sidekick's reception was horrible. I would get dropped calls and no network service in places where I used to get decent reception on the 3390. It's laughably bad when a $300 phone fails to get a signal in the exact same place where a $90 phone gets decent reception on the same network.
However, the worst thing of all about it is T-Mobile's horrible, horrible customer service, which is very uncoordinated and contradictory. When I first got the Sidekick, the "Customer Care" representative told me I'd get a free camera attachment with it. But when I got the phone, it had no camera attachment. I called Customer Care again and they told me that the first representative was wrong, and that I had to spend $40 to buy it seperately.
Also, when I eventually lost my Sidekick (because the belt clip fell off) I had to speak to Customer Care multiple times about buying a new Sidekick, and each person's advice contradicted the previous one. One Customer Care "representative" even told me I could order a new phone off the website, but it turns out that if I did what he said I would have created a new account and been charged a $200 cancellation fine. And in the end, it turns out that they were out of Sidekicks and they wouldn't be in stock again till mid-March. I ended up going back to my trusty Nokia 3390 and I don't ever plan on buying a new Sidekick.
If a wireless provider other than T-Mobile starts selling Hiptops like the Sidekick then it would be worth buying. However, stay away from T-Mobile.
That said, in every other aspect the SideKick is the best electronic gadget I've ever seen, it just works and works wonderfully.
1) Email. Wow. I am on email constantly, have used every client under the sun, and I can say reading and replying to email on the SideKick is the best environment I've yet to find. It's lightning quick, always up to date, and of course, always available. I can't tell you how well this works.
2) Address book. What makes this one so useful is of course the form factor. It doesn't take 5 minutes to type somebody's name in, it takes 5 seconds. Very well done.
3) Calendar. Finally a calendar system I can use. Simple and functional, plus it'll sync with my outlook contacts and appointments without me every having to dock. This is how life is supposed to be.
4) The Web. An excellent implementation. Checking movie times, slashdot, fark, cnn or most any other site works extremely well, and quickly. It has saved me more than once.
The biggest thing you can't appreciate is just how good the screen and keyboard is, and how well the wheel works as a navigation aid. Some Apple people worked with Danger to create this device, and their attention to detail is apparent here.
Did I mention you also get a Telnet and SSH client, and it has an open API to write new applications for. For the geek, there is no cooler toy.
2.Great for email and AOL Instant messenger when you are on the go.
3. Quality of phone is good ( ease of use is another matter....more on that below)
4. Screen is clear and bright.
5. Web interface is great. You (or anybody you give your password to) can send/receive emails, update calendar, or address book from any internet connection and will appear on your handset almost instantly.
The Bad:
1.Without a conventional phone keypad dialing is difficult, near impossible when driving (looking up stored numbers is a breeze though). If you have to punch in a lot of passwords and symbols (like # - which requies us of a shift key) to retrieve your voicemails, this can be very difficult.
2.While the web interface is great - you can not synch up to outlook or lotus notes. For some people this makes the PDA functions useless.
3. Battery only goes 16 or so hours - can die out on you at the end of a long day.
4. Signals are very weird. I can get the web in some rooms in my house an not in others (normal size house). Signal strength at work is top notch though.
5. Amazon will make you wait until you get your first bill to file for rebate ( must lead to a lot of forgetting to request rebate....hmmm...)
Man, if you communicate through email the Sidekick will increase your productivity 10 folds! I have a small business and communicate to my customers via my Sidekick from the golf course, restaurants, car, etc... Highly recommend the Sidekick!
I have to say, for my purposes the Tmobile Sidekick (Hiptop) by Danger Inc. does it all (almost!) Although it does not presently handle Java it certaily browses web pages well. The ability to view, send, and receive attatchments as well as text makes for a great mobile tool. Like many people these days my office PC is behind a firewall that blocks a LOT of sites like web mail, Ebay, etc. So, since I use Yahoo mail a lot and it is a site blocked by our firewall, I can still retrieve my mail, shop online (during breaks of course!!!) and do anything one needs to do. You can view spreadsheets, html's, graphic files, and .pdf files. Like Tmobile phones, coverage CAN be a problem if you travel out of the usual corridors but I am seldom out of signal. I use my phone a lot so I got the 3000 minute plan with regional roaming for $49.00 per month. I added the unlimited internet option for another $20 bucks per month. Since I work in a large Federal building I can be in certain places and lose signal. However, I seldom experience a loss of communication and am finding a 3-4 out of 5 signal strength most of the time. Even with a "one bar" signal strength the data still comes in loud and clear. Oh, BTW, the pages appear to load about the speed of a 33.6 modem speed if the graphics are on. It is VERY fast loading if you de-select the graphics option. Tmobile mirrors everything on a secure personal page so as soon as you enter data it is also entered there as well. Very handy when you want to add large amounts of information to your Sidekick. Just compose on a PC and cut and paste it into your web-based display and poof! it is on your Sidekick. VERY cool!
So, I went to my favorite auction house, and wandered around the whole place trying to "get bars." I was told by the auctioneer that, yes, they are in a bad spot, that all the workers had to switch to Nextel... Well, I had zero bars, meaning zero reception, but attempted an internet look-up anyway. To my surprise and amazement, it still worked! Maybe ten seconds longer, but I could still look up items on ebay, with zero reception indicated. Wow. Looking up books on my ScoutPal program (www.scoutpal.com) was still a two-handed feat, as the numbers are all across the top, so you need to hold it in two hands to get all the numbers. Actually, I have just learned to set it on the book, and type with one finger anyway, so not such a problem. The phone works great, and havn't had a dropped call yet, in the Tacoma area anyway. I do wish Side kick has thrown in a few free minutes. I could add a $20 plan, but that would only get me 60 Anytime minutes a month, so I am just seeing how it goes with paying 20 cents a minute, and keeping the calls to a bare minimum. I really got it for my ebay/Amazon business anyway, not for the cell phone part. I was using a Palm IV for my interent look-ups, but at $35 a month, and no phone at all, well, the Sidekick is far better, and $30 for unlimited internet use. The color graphics are excellent; I can actually look up an item on ebay and see the photo clearly, in color, unlike the Palm, which was black and white, and useless for seeing photos on the web. I am having trouble accessing the ebay web clipped site (mmm.ebay.com,) but I hope to get that resolved. I can't speak much about customer service, as this is my first month. But I did call once to verify costs, and it was quick and easy.
Apparently, you can't trust the service area maps on the T-Mobile website, because after checking my address in some database that only they have access to, the tech guy cheerfully declared that I apparently live in an area of "marginal to no service" even though where I live is smack in the middle of what purports to be a "high coverage" area on their website map. I wish they'd make the REAL info available on their website. After much mulling it over, I've decided not to return the Sidekick. After all, it's a "mobile" and that's what I really need, but still, it would be nice to be able to use it at home too. Hopefully, T-Mobile will beef up their coverage around Springfield, Virginia a bit soon. As it stands now, I'd give the device itself four and a half stars (deducting half a star for not being able to handle javascript in the browser), while the T-Mobile coverage currently gets only a single star on account of lousy coverage in the DC Area. It's just unfortunate that T-Mobile has a monopoly on this device in this area.
The communicator has a nice look an feel at start but pretty soon you will start seeing the disadvantage of a singel company (Tmobile) owning the OEM. This device as of yet does not have Outlook (or any PC) sync mechanism apart from the crappy TMobile interface which lacks a lot of features and is buggy. The voice/phone feature could have been much better starting with a comfortable hold to the ear thing. The included hands free kit does not have (neither otherwise supported) answering button. The call log is not intutive and grip can be improved. The included holder/jacket/hosterer considering the volume of the device could have been better has it given an option to hang the cell phone horizontally (in parallel with the belt) by your waist. The best part is the ability to browse the internet anywhere and the swivel screen concealing a handy keyboard but the device still feels bulky and strongly miss some kind of a touch screen capability, specially for dialing choice on VAR systems (for English press 1, while driving your call]. I hope they are working on the above mentioned flaws and some multimedia player for playing clips off internet besides TMobile making the internet connection faster. Overall I can live with it for an year until I find my perfect match ;)
However... I had hoped this would cut the time I spend online at home in the evenings, by letting me keep up with emails and such during the day. It didn't work that way. First, the web browser is much slower even than my dinosaur 56 bps phone connection at home. Second, when I try to access my email on Yahoo, the browser times out every time (the browser times out a lot on other sites too). I only surf the 'net on my Sidekick now when I really need some info right away. Also, you can't copy something off a website into an email or text message, and I can't find a way to move photos that are emailed to me to my photo gallery. As for the PDA functions like calendar, etc., again, the Sidekick is limited. For example, on my Compaq Ipaq, you can "snooze" an alarm or reminder for anything from 15 minutes to days or weeks. No such option on the SideKick. And if the alarm goes off when the Sidekick is in "hibernate" mode, it will ring, but when you enter your password to get in, there won't be anything on the screen to tell you what you missed. Worse, I gave up a nice older Motorola phone for my Sidekick, and the reception and sound quality is vastly inferior. My T-Mobile service was spotty at best (little or no reception in parts of DOWNTOWN Denver!!) With the Sidekick, it's even worse; I have dropped calls at least a couple of times a day, and my friends and family complain all the time that they hear their voices echoed back to them. If you're looking for an adequate all-in-one, this may be the best option in this price range. But on the whole, I think it's probably worth it to pay more and get something like a Treo 600. If only to keep my friends and family from writing me off, I am going to be getting something else very soon, so this has not turned out to be worth the money for me.
5 Star Stuff: Cool web interface that allows you to update all functions of the phone on a computer that is instanly sync'd with your phone...ie appts, contacts, to-do's etc.. Great screen resolution. Packed with features & functions. Intuitive OS that is very easy to use. Real web pages (though sometimes slow, and browser doesn't support javascript sites) POP3 e-mail from 3 different accounts. It is constantly checking e-mail so I get e-mail from home, work and can answer both wherever I might be 24/7 Service has been good, and the value is unbeatable compared to other PDA/Phone combos. The keyboard is easy to use and faster at inputing info than any stylus. Even faster is the web interface that is also easy to use. You can import data to it using the web ie.. asci text, or comma deliniated. I imported old palm OS data to it and it worked well and saved me many hours of contact updates. 3-4 Star Stuff: Phone features leave a little to be desired. You generally need two hands to operate the phone features as there are no numbers on the face. It works best if the number is in your directory but if you have a few hundred contacts scrolling the wheel down to S or T could take a long time. This forces you to open the screen and punch in a letter to get closer. It isn't very comfortable and is awkward to use as a phone. The earpiece volume also seems to vary. Sometimes it's loud and sometimes I can barely hear the caller. It's either that or I can't get the speaker over my ear because it's in the corner. My wife says the sound clarity on the other end is sometimes poor. Your best bet is an earpiece but most people hate the way those sound on any phone. Because it is a proprietary OS called Hip Top you would be hard pressed to find any software to upgrade to it. It has one or two games but they are fairly lame. I'm assuming that Danger or T-Mobile has plans for more in the future but as of yet it has been a slow roll out. I feel like it could do more if it had some third party software support. Due to the awkward design for phone usage they would have done well to include Voice dialing, and a Speaker Phone. Neither of these features are included on this feature rich phone which was suprising. That would have helped with the one hand operation. No Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth would have been nice feature so you could sync up at home with a broadband connection or with one of those T-Mobile hot spots that are in most Starbucks. This would have greatly increased the browser speed and really gave the web capability some much needed speed. No way to add or upgrade memory. MMC, SD, or CF memory options would have been a nice addition for expandability down the road. Though there is a generous on board 6mb e-mail memory available that has been adequate. No removable battery. It would have been nice to have spare battery exchange ability as we've come to expect with cell phones. Though it may be holding true to the PDA roots in this department with a rechargable on board. In fairness the battery does pretty well in comparison to other color screen models. No MP3 support so far. This isn't a must but would have been a nice addition, perhaps in a future upgrade. Obviously in bed with the Mega Giant AOL/Time Warner as you can't remove the messenger from your phone. I don't have AOL and don't have a use for AIM chatting. If that's important to you you'll love it if not you can't get rid of it. It would have been nice to be able to customize your interface a bit. Well that should be enough to help you make the decision. Overall I like the device and it's capabilites. It needs to work out a few design kinks, and software kinks but once it does it will be a great tool. You can get a data only w/o phone for unlimited data service. It costs $20 a month which allows you to text message, e-mail, and view web pages to your hearts content. Though my whole point in getting it was to avoid carrying a PDA & a phone. In terms of overall value you can't beat the price for what it does. If you can get past the design kinks or don't care as long as you can send and recieve e-mail then this is the phone for you. My wife has a blackberry and it blows it away. Good luck and happy Sidekicking.
Compared to other reviewers, I don't seem to have a problem with reception at all. Located in Chicago, I've only lost a connection when I went into basements or the subway (Where no one can maintain a connection.) Consider all the ways that a sidekick allows you to get the word out. All in all, I'm pretty darn satisfied. I've had a few friends experience some problems with the sidekick hardware at times, but throughout repairs, they're always big sidekick fans.
The sidekick is a pretty neat device, the menus and gui in general is well though out. If you are a heavy AIM user, this is pretty neat. Browsing the web turned out only okay, because of speed (comparable to 28.8 modem in general) but the real downside here came from reception and romaing. To register, the sidekick has to go through a cycle of getting an ip, and registering. In areas with poor reception, this little process keeps going on. I understand they fixed some looping issue but registering the sidekick for data still takes a few minutes. I had to return the thing but I can see how in a good reception area, it would be pretty tight. Finally the handheld felt a bit bulky to me.. fyi i live in the south of bay area (san jose)
I thought long and hard before buying this, and chose it over Palm and WinCE-based smartphones. Currently, the Sidekick is the hands-down best blend of keyboard, display, and connectivity, while still being a decent smartphone. As a cellphone, it has the obvious downsides of larger form factor and short battery life, but these trade-offs are plenty bearable IF you're looking for excellent browsability. In that area, this is the best there is. I can only hope that T-Mobile continues to invest in refining this product (Outlook synching, SMS messaging, more ringtones, and bundling a Jabra EarBoom headset would all be nice). If they do, they'll keep winning customers, like they've won me away from AT&T. ;-)
This device is great for all the reasons that my fellow reviewers describe. It's great for getting email and accessing web pages. I won't elaborate, but these features alone make the device worth the money. It's great for traveling (no lugging a laptop to keep up with email) and my friends and I call it the "bet settler" because you can pull up almost any website as long as you can get service. I really like the device a lot, but... There are many issues that some more careful design could overcome: 1. Phone Features 2. Face-Front Display 3. Service 4. Wimpy & Weird Web Browser So overall, I like this device. It's really handy. With better phone feature design and living in an area with good coverage, I could see this really being the rage for anyone who doesn't need the full features of the Palm OS devices but likes a full keyboard for text messaging and web access.
Sidekick +: Treo -: Sidekick -: My sidekick gets used heavily, which means it was a good purchase for me. When traveling with my kids, they grab it, and use AOL IM. I like being able to jot down notes, when I wake up in the middle of night. The lighted keyboard makes it easy.
Also, the Sidekick is a bit bulky to handle, and it is not designed well to work as a handheld phone. Using the keyboard takes a little practice. Because the Sidekick is bulky, it requires a bulky carrying case. A leather case is included with a standard belt-clip; however, it isn't very secure as it can pop-off your belt, but it holds the Sidekick vertically. Other, more secure holsters are available for additional cost, but they hold the Sidekick horizontally - imagine having something on your belt that is over 4-1/2 inches long, 2-1/2 inches tall, and 1-1/4 inch thick hanging horizontally on your belt. While the Sidekick is programmable with games and other programs, T-Mobile currently only offers a handful of options. Their greatest selection is of free ringtones, which is good, considering other services charge for them. The Sidekick also offers PDA applications, like calendars and address books. However, there is no current way to synch your current Outlook or other databases on your home computer with the Sidekick. Don't buy it if you're looking to replace your PocketPC or Palm. For the Deaf community looking to upgrade from RIM devices or other pagers, one major drawback of the Sidekick is that it doesn't have a strong vibration feature. Unless you put the sidekick in your pants pocket, it is very easy to miss the vibration and, accordingly, miss your messages. Also, it doesn't give "reminder" notifications/vibrations, so if you miss it the first time, too bad. If you leave the Sidekick on your desk when working, it does have a nice visual, bright, color changing dial to catch your attention. The dial can be set to change colors according to the particular "ringtone" you select. As far as the service itself, it seems to work well when I'm not in my house. The T-Mobile voice service has a reputation for not being all that great - and I now can see why. Signal strength in buildings varies greatly depending on your location. It simply isn't very consistent, even in a large metropolitan area like Washington, DC. It works well enough that I didn't cancel my service within the 14-day trial period.
Surfing & e-mail Nonetheless, when surfing or sending e-mail, this phone is incredible. Surf actual web pages (no WAP), send e-mail, used AOL AIM all at the same time! Ebay was great on this phone. But, I found myself without service several times (that is, the dreaded "NO SIGNAL"). Even in downtown Chicago when I tried the phone there. The e-mail is just like a Blackberry. It is done very, very well. The Phone The phone is as ergonomic as a brick, albeit a small brick. The phone is really not made for talking. The ear bud it comes with is a joke. To use the phone one must place the screen on one's cheek where it creates smudges on the screen. Anyone using the phone for a long amount of time will be frustrated with it. The Sidekick does NOT have a speaker phone, which is strange because when I played the game on it (asteroids), it is loud enough to hear across a room. Add to this, the mic is sensitive, I actually experimented by putting the phone about 3 feet away from me and speaking, to which the caller could hear me just fine. One thing that is really a hassle on this phone is the dial pad. You know when you call a company's 800 number and you get the "press 1 for There are other features on that Sidekick are cool. Like a date book and contact list. Yes, you can upload, not sync, your Outlook to the Sidekick (see the manual on this Amazon web page). If you are going to get this, I would recommend you get insurance, as it seems that with lots of use this might fall apart.
My boss told me that he heard these were fragile, and I handled it very carefully based on his advice. It broke, I'm fine with it, but now I don't have a cell phone until Amazon sends me a replacement (which they were really very good at handling, they're sending me one overnight which will arrive tomorrow. I couldn't expect better.). Advice: Don't buy this online. I have a feeling that I'll have several Sidekicks before I get through my 12 month contract with T-Mobile. If I bought this at a T-Mobile store, I would have paid a lot more because those stores don't offer the Amazon.com rebate. The time and frustration I'll save is well worth that additional cost. If mine breaks again, I'm going to look into another device. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.
It's cool that you can surf the net and go on AIM while you're mobile, but if you're looking for a fully-functional phone, something you can use and be reached on when you truely need to be, opt for something else.
Definitely worth the price.
Pros: Great user interface, good Internet connection speed, easy of use, various applications. Cons: Pricey, no speaker phone, silent mode doesn't vibrate strong enough to feel, volume for ringer needs to louder.
I take out my handy Sidekick and voila: At the deserted airport I was able to email and AOL instant message my wife every detail as we were planning what to do, plus play LED Football while we waited for the cab. I was able to email and leave my boss a voice message at work to let him know I would not be in til later the next day after the storm passed. The next day at the hotel before we took off, I picked up all my work emails and phone messages as if I were sitting in my Office. The Sidekick is a total time-saver, helpline, you name it, it's wonderful, does everything, and the battery lasts forever!!!
For my 16-year-old daughter, text messaging is usually the perfect, unobtrusive way to pass information. Especially if I ask for simple yes or no answers. One of my daughters is away at college. She is completely vigilent about keeping her AIM presence up-to-the-minute, so if she is not online on her laptop, she has an away message stating what she's doing. She's very easy to reach as a result. My husband and son also have Sidekicks and we usually communicate using instant messaging, but we also send email. I appreciate email because you can take the time to compose a message. Sometimes I do use the phone, but far, far less than I used to (before Sidekick), which is wonderful, because I have options for communicating silently, anytime and anywhere I want.
Well, last weekend I lent the phone to my wife since I was able to borrow both the Nokia N-GAGE and a super sweet hyper tiny slide phone from Siemens. So I slap my SIM into the N-GAGE to start with and I'm playing Sonic and Monkey Ball and thinking it's pretty cool (though big). Pretty soon, though I get tired of the novelty of playing the games and I realize just how little I can do with the thing. Sure it's got a Real-player and a radio but I want my email! I want to go onto AIM and chat it up. Basically all it could do was make phone calls and play games. About two hours later I pick it up and find the battery's dead - guess the game playing really kills it! Oh well I think, after all the Siemens is really cool - almost small enough to fit on a keychain and full color too! So I carry that around for the rest of the weekend and very quickly I remember why I didn't have a cellphone before I needed one for work - the Siemens is just as useless! Sure it's tiny and cool, but its dead weight unless you wanna make calls. On Monday I was back on the Sidekick, and that's when I realized my life was accessible through that puppy. It's not just that Email, AIM, and the web (Google, Amazon, Ebay, etc.) really make the internet's killer apps available on the go - those apps are my life! They pretty much define how I communicate with folks and find stuff out about the world. Man, am I spoiled having them always in my pocket all the time! Bottom line: two thumbs up!
I ended up canceling my subscription to T-Mobile and returned the device. No more stress.
Someone said there was no copy and paste but there is copy and paste when I got the latest update which automatically installed itself without me dealing with connecting it to a computer or anything. It also added a calculator and some games. Super cool! My reccomendation is that everyone should get one but be careful, you can't go back to a regular cell phone, EVER!
So...back to the cell phone again! Again...the Sidekick is a good product.
46 Great Idea but Plagued with Problems
I bought the sidekick 2 months ago for the same reason everyone did. 1. It was a cool toy. 2. I'd rather carry one device and combine a pda with a cell phone. Well the first 2 weeks it worked great. After that the screen would not light up when I flipped it open. I figured I just got a bad device. T-mobile graciously exchanged it with a new one. Well 2 weeks after receiving the new one, The battery would constantly die after only a few hours of use. Instead of trying a 3rd one, I decided to try my luck with the pocket pc. Hopefully that will be better. Maybe I was just unlucky! While it works, it is a great device although you can't download any programs to it.
47 Well done T-Mobile
I must say that this phone is a real piece of art. The only thing that bugs me is every once in a while the signal changes drastically while I remain in the same place. Overall the phone and the service are great. It is a smart phone so you have to get used to its capabilities. It is an awesome step in technological advances in communication. Bravo T-Mobile. Bravo.
48 Best Thing So Far!!!
I have used WAP enabled phones and PDA's to access the net since my HP 200LX (A GREAT PDA! BTW).
49 Now I know why this phone's first name is Danger.
I jumped at Amazon's offer in November 2003 for a free sidekick if i signed up for a one-year T-Mobile contract. The device itself is extremely well thought out, and user-friendly. but I can't recommend this phone, because the T-Mobile service is too spotty. It's dicey making calls to anyone your care about (sorry mom) because you're going to get cut off. When I do have service, I like surfing the internet, and using the Instant messaging. But I'm also paranoid that this thing is going to stop working. When I bought my sidekick, I was unaware of a looming fatal hardware problem known as Net 7. After 3 weeks of using my new Sidekick i stopped recieving any signal. So I called customer service, and was surprised to learn that they would only offer me a refurbished phone. That was a drag, I bought it new and a month later I was using someone else's old phone. Sort of the old bait-and-switch. If you are looking for a hybrid device, i would consider the Handspring Treo, or shell out the big bucks for a Blackberry. The Sidekick is a neat toy, but if you need a phone to make calls and want to check your e-mail reliably, you're in for a disappointment.
50 ...love the handheld, but the service is...
I just bought the Sidekick a few days ago and I was very excited to see what it could do. I heard a lot of good things from friends and family about its capabilities, so I decided to give it a try. I own a cellular phone with another provider and I'm happy with their service so I only got the data option on the Sidekick. The concept on the handheld is great. You can surf the web, chat on AIM, send and receive e-mail, create to-do lists, and a host of other options. However, I was not satisfied with the T-Mobile service. Four minutes into any conversation I was having on AIM, my connection would get lost, leaving me to sign on again and again. Signing back on was no piece of cake, either. This process was very inconsistent. At times it would take a matter of seconds to get back on AIM. At others, I got frustrated looking at the "connecting" signal move back and forth and simply stopped trying. The internet browser was the same. I wasn't expecting much in terms of speed because it is a handheld, but once again, I found myself frustrated each time the connection was lost-and that happened frequently. I am definitely going to take advantage of T-Mobile's 14 day trial offer. I love the handheld, but the service is terrible.
51 I love my Sidekick!
I bought a Sidekick in December and it is AWESOME! I love all of it's features. I always dreamed of having a wireless device like this for so long. Everytime that I looked up wireless stuff, it would scare me to see the prices! When I saw this and the Unlimited Data plan was so cheap, I knew I had to have it! It's great for people who are on the computer a lot at their houses for internet reasons. The AIM feature took about 3 minutes for me to get used to. The E-Mail program couldn't be any easier to use. The internet was a little bit tricky..I didn't know how to visit websites. Then I went back to my manual and it said to just start typing. I couldn't believe it! I was surfing the web wirelessly! I don't think I could live without my sidekick today. I love how I never miss an IM. The battery life is unbelievable! I take my phone with me in the day, and at night I let it charge. It's so easy to use. I think everyone should have a T-Mobile Sidekick.
52 its a catch 22
this phone will get you looks when u pull its out but, so many calls are dropped and when u call another person who has a sidekick its impossible to understand what they are saying. Its not always at full bars and once your in doors its goes out of service. i have a one year contact and i am on my 7th sidekick, there something always goes wrong, like sim card not ready or its freezes up. I like the keyboard and all the other stuff but the phone service sucks, you cant make your own ringtones and the web reads txt and gif and jpgs now flash or anything fancy.
if you get this phone get the warrenty you will need it and u dont have a cover for it, dust will get under ur screen and you cant get it out, it cant hold a battery for a full day, with everything running (aol, web, & phone)one good thing is that they do update over the air when they add new services and products. there is all way for the sidekick to be at full power..
53 Great internet service
As an auction goer, ebay and Amazon Marketplace seller, I demanded a lot from a wireless unit. Even though I was on the "edge" of T-Mobile service is my area, I wanted to try the Sidekick.
54 Great Idea Torpedoed by Lousy T-Mobile Coverage
Don't get me wrong, this IS the multi-purpose device I'd been waiting for, ... It is very well designed with a great keyboard, fine clear color screen, a swell interface and snappy looks. It's just that the T-Mobile coverage is SO miserably spotty that I can't get even a hint of a signal at all at home. And folks, I live in Springfield, Virginia in suburban Washington, D.C, where there's a huge Interstate highways mixing bowl and it's only 15 miles from the Washington Monument...I'm not holed up underground in a lead-lined doublewide trailer with Geech the Sniff-dog somewhere south of Treefrog Holler. Even in Washington itself, near the Mall and with the White House in clear view, the connection can be pretty spotty. That's where I just called the T-Mobile support folks from to find out why I can't get any signal at home.
55 Very fun product but.......
I researched the internet heavily before I bought this device, I like to sell a few things on the internet so I bought this to look up prices because it has an internet browser. It is also a phone, an e-mail send/receive, instant messenger thru AOL, contacts, notes, several sounds and music tracks for each function, all-in-all it is a very fun toy for an adult. When I took it into a store to look up things, the signal was gone, so there goes the reason I bought the thing, the telephone use on it is very funny feeling since you have to dial with it open and then shut it not to look like a weirdo, you have to open it to do most things, but it comes in handy when you have to wait in a waiting room (if the internet signal is working) or stuck in stand still traffic as you Californians well know. You can set it to no pictures or adds so it works alittle faster, but basically slower than some dialup plans (the internet browser). But I still cannot stay away from playing with it every night to read the internet news on all of the news websites while watching TV or it makes a great bathroom reader, just don't drop it in water...... I should have known about the T-mobile signal problem as I had a T-mobile phone before and would lose the signal all of the time. Nothing has changed about that. But the device is fun if you don't need a serious and fast PDA.
56 Not All That..
I purchased the sidekick thinking I can access the web for information, check emails etc... Forget it.. It was way to slow that the web page timed out. I was not able to check neither my excite nor yahoo email. Although, this device is excellent for AIM.
I had to purchased a different phone because my main reason for purchasing the side kick was for web access, which did not worked out for me.
57 Useful well designed with serious improvable short comings
Ever since I heard about Danger Inc and their proposed communicator device I have been following it. It is indeed an innovative design ....
58 So-So
When I first bought my Sidekick, I thought it was a whole lot of fun. I assigned custom ringtones to all my friends and family, rigged the thing to automatically take the volume to soft during the day when I'm at the office, and surfed the web almost nonstop for a couple of days. I love having a web browser available fulltime so much that I will never go back to "just" a cell phone.
59 Good, But Needs Improvement.
Overall this phone/pda combo is very cool, but a few design flaws keep it from 5 star status.
60 Hiptop Danger Device, Color Sidekick.
I have to say, that I'm absolutely in love with my CSK. I've been wanting one ever since a friend of mine introduced me to his original black and white sidekick about a year ago. When the rebate deal went down to them giving me 30 bucks for this neat little toy, I couldn't pass up the offer. Thus far, I've only sent out the T-Mobile rebate, because the Amazon rebate requires your first month's bill to come in. (So you won't be getting your money back, right away.)
1) Phone. If you signed up for the phone service, you can just call someone up.
2) Email. Simple email client allows you to send @tmail.com email or from any other existing pop3 account. Easy setup.
3) AOL IM. The popular instant messaging client is compacted into the sidekick. Just get to know the short-cut keys, and you're chatting away.
4) SMS. Short Message Service can be received and sent by most cell phones that are text messaging enabled. The primary method of communication between me and my sidekick friends. Why use up your minutes?
5) Web Browser. You can even update your blog or journal online by using their web browser. I can only hope that one of soon-to-be-updates will include a client that makes updating easier.
6) Terminal Monkey. Speaking of improvements, one of the applications you can download for your sidekick is Terminal Monkey, which allows you to telnet/ssh into your home or work computer. (Only for the Computer Savvy!) So you can technically call up your computer, and have IT have a conversation with your friends. Nifty, huh?
61 Great Idea, Still Primitive
Just ending a one year stretch with the sidekick. I will not renew. Here's why: (1) The device does not get good reception within T-mobile's coverage area. I frequently cannot receive when a companion with another t-nobile device next to me can. (2) phone use is clunky at best. awkward to hold and tricky to use sensitive "wheel" to apply a command. (3) when the color version came out this summer i was not contacted in any way with an offer for an easy upgrade path. this is emblematic of the callous service received over the past year. t-mobile did not make an ally out of me. too bad, because i wanted to like and stick with this device-of-much-potential.
62 reception disappointing
Well after giving it much thought and scouring the web for reviews, I sprang on the sidekick with the dramatic drop in price
I was pretty excited about it but then reality set in. I had barely any reception at work, which made the activation process quite stressful. After finding a spot of reception, everything went okay. I had a phone number but I was going to use it for the data plan only.
63 The (not yet) perfect future of mobile wireless
T-Mobile has a winner here. The Sidekick is still a work in progress, but it's a great first effort that represents a purpose-built, bold design approach that no other provider has taken. It succeeds in delivering most of what (in a few years) will be considered normal wireless capability. And it's already a pleasure to use; although not yet perfected, it's way out in front and for that reason deserves 5 Stars.
64 early adopter device at best - needs more work
In fitting style, I'm actually typing this review from a Sidekick, because I'm stranded on the NJ Turnpike with a flat tire and I'm bored. Overall, this device is totally cool. There are some significant design flaws, however, that could well make the Sidekick a challenging competitor for Palm OS phones.
Using the Sidekick as a phone leaves a lot to be desired. It's hard to find the ear speaker when you press it to your head, and I can't do it to save my life with my left ear. Additionally, there's no 4x3 button keypad, so every number you dial is entered into the qwerty keyboard or the thumbwheel-driven on-screen interface. This stinks for driving or for being anything close to discreet. The one thing cool about entering the phone number into the keyboard is that it does the conversion from letters to numbers in the phone number. I just called Continental Airlines' customer service number and just typed the "1-800-523-FARE" number as presented and it put the call through.
The life expectancy of the device would benefit immensely from a clamshell folding screen. In the current design, the screen rotates. This looks cool in rap videos, but it's not so good for keeping in your pocket or, again, using discreetly.
I live in Seattle WA and I'm currently stuck on the highway after a week on the east coast (NYC, Phila, DC). The service on the west coast seems pretty solid, but the east coast is spotty at best. That's actually an extremely generous assertion, the service is nearly non-existent. T-Mobile needs to do some significant improvements to their coverage out here. Additionally, the other offerings for the current generation phones are generally not available from T-Mobile for the sidekick. I can't download ringtones or new wallpapers or anything. They could start a cult around these things if they made them as customizable as current phones. To T-Mobile's defense, the "My T-Mobile" interface on their website is awesome. You can access anything that you can reach on the phone, and your Sidekick and the website are constantly sync'ing data. It's cool, you can enter phone numbers on a computer at home and have them in your phone within a short bit.
The browser on the device is not a standard browser, so any site that validates the user agent to gate security will reject access based on that detail alone. I'm actually not sure if there is 128-bit encryption on the browser, but that's the excuse my bank gives. There are some other frustrating quirks with the browser, but it's no worse than IE 4.0 or something similarly antiquated.
65 The T Mobile Sidekick is the Sowce
My name is Bobby McBacins. The T mobile sidekick is not only the sowciest phone, 2-way, and internet user I have ever used it looks sick and it is original in the way it has been built. I love it and everyone I know thinks it is the sowciest phone ever.I must say this is the most yummins bo tronser phone i have ever had. S.....S......s.ss.ssss.s. S-Unit
66 the hiptop
This is the best phone pda hybird for the price out there. Matter of fact I'm writing this review on mine. The good, wonderful keypad layout, backlit keyboard, quick ineternet, lots of ring tones, aol instant messenger, pop3 email, nice sound, sharp display, and a inovative design. The bad, no speakerphone, does not support java scipt, alittle on the heavy side, only one game, and why no outlook support, should have msn and yahoo messengers. Overall, great pda phone for a teens it has some flaws but the many cool features really bypass the few bad ones it also is a head turner.
67 The Absolute Best!!!
This is absolutely the best product of the year. It is outstanding. The phone service is great around this area, and AIM wherever I go is VERY convenient. I had a Blackberry before my Sidekick, and a Verizon Wireless phone that I paid 40 dollars a month for, plus the cost of text messaging. My new Sidekick has replaced both. For $20, I get Sidekick unlimited, which includes text messages, AOL Instant Messaging, 3 e-mail accounts, web browsing, and more. Then I added the $20 Get More America Plan, which fits me perfectly with 500 weekend minutes, because that's when I use it the most. It blows my old Verizon Plan away, and I could just throw my Blackberry away, despite the fact it cost me almost 2 times as much as the Sidekick. It's amazing functionality and versatility makes it great for any one, ages 12 and up. This is a must have for any AOL lover, and will please anyone this Christmas season. Plus no roaming charges. This is the best invention since the cell phone. I got mine at Circuit City, but I wish I had checked Amazon for the pricing. Thank you T-Mobile and Danger.
68 Compared to a treo 600
Treo +:
* Many more apps. More sophisticated apps available.
* Has built in camera
* Able to sync with PC software
* Lighter
* Nice keyboard. 3 times the size of treo.
* Can see screen during full sunlight
* Some degree of multitasking: Can download web pages, email and aol im at the same time for example.
* Software simple to use. Don't have to download apps or pay for them.
* Landscape display of web pages looks better, plus higher res.
* Web interface to all data on sidekick
* Push email
* Less expensive
* Doesn't multitask
* If using browser or email and call comes in, it goes straight to voicemail. No option to answer call.
* Apps cost additional $.
* Can't see screen in full sunlight.
* Reception not always good as a regular cell phone.
* App functionality limited. For example cut and paste only works on editable data. No undo.
* Some say it is delicate. I haven't notice this as a problem.
* No triband. (Not sure about treo).
* No MSN chat access
* Sometimes backend web proxy servers are overloaded and web pages load very slowly.
* Can't load your own ring tones.
* Not much available in the way of games.
69 don't buy it pleeeeze!
mostly i beg you not to buy this product because it is only available through t-mobile which is a lying scheming company. they offered me credit which they gave me the run around on and tried to get away with not giving me. the reps were not helpful but rude. also about the product: it is very fragile. It works out for my boyfriend because he can just keep it in his pocket(though he does complain about the bulge) but i have to keep it in my purse where it can easily be sratched since the screen is on the outside. It is not scratch resistant as it says it is. I cannot keep it in the case because it takes too long to get it out and I would never get to it before the person hung up. Also, making phone calls in the car is completely impossible. Its not easy to dial a number as with a regular phone. Its much more distracting. It is amazing what it can do but the handspring treo is lighter and has even more capabilities.
70 Outstanding phone
For those of you who had to return the Blackberry with T-Mobile because it was incompatible with Hotmail, MSN and AOL email, you've found a replacement that is, quite frankly, a lot more fun! There's a full color version of the retro fave video game asteroids plus all the things you're looking for: address book, to do list, notepad, and so much more. Plus wireless syncing with your PC. This phone has a better keyboard, too, than the Blackberry. The phone has different rings for different callers--and the phone lights up in different colors, too. Plus, you can store pictures of callers. Bye, bye blackberry. I'm very happy with my new Sidekick! ... Can't beat that, can you?
71 VERY FRAGILE!
I had my Sidekick for 2 days before it broke. The major design flaw of this product is that the LCD crystal display is on the OUTSIDE of the product, giving the display no protection from bumps, drops, or other damaging events. T-Mobile charged me $70 to replace the device. (The Sidekick uses a smart-chip to save your information, which makes replacing the device easier if you do break it - simply swap the chips.) The Sidekick has a loop to secure it to a wrist cord (included) or a belt-bungee cord (NOT included) -- unless you plan to keep the SK on your wrist, you will need to find and purchase the belt-bungee cord for additional protection against dropping. If you're prone to dropping things, stick with the sturdier RIM device for paging/email or other phones for cellular service.
72 This is a great handheld!!!
I use my Sidekick for work. I love this device, I can get up to the minute information on the web browser and send and receive email instantly. As far as the phone is concerned, it is a little awkward to use. The email is just fantastic and I would recommend this device to anyone that lives in a strong signal area (you can check t-mobiles web site) www.tmobile.com
I have heard that t-mobiles coverage is spotty in some areas. I myself live in Royal Palm Beach and it is perfect.
73 NOT!!!Ultimate PDA umm...Phone thingy
Stay far away as others have stated. I have only had the sidekick for about a month and my problems have just begun. I have never dropped or in any other way damaged my sidekick and all of a sudden I get this can not recv data message on it. After spending what must have been 30 min on the phone with customer service I got (NOWHERE!!!). It went from well it might have a bad sim to we will send you another one out in the mail. What BS.... Yes this is a fun device when it is working, but I use it for more than fun. I use it for Business. It holds contacts, appointments and my to do's. Apparently this device isn't up to that type of challenge. So now I am stuck waiting three to five (BUSINESS) days for a replacement device to arrive and what do you think the odds are that they will still try to charge me for those days that I have no device at all?? Pretty damn high. ...And a message for T-Mobile if you are reading. As many people as I have tried to persuade that this is a cool and helpful device, I will not only undo what I have stated to them, I will seek dissuade as many people as I can away from you until I feel that I have steered away enough potential customers to recoup several times what I lost in my dealings with you, because THAT'S how I do business.
74 Report card: A+ Idea, B+ Web, A Email, F+ TMobile, D Phone
I ended up canceling this phone during the 14 day trial period. Why? T-moblie reception is bad in Washington, DC/Baltimore area. No point getting a phone if it does not work. Nothing worse than cutting in and out while having a conversation. I would have kept the phone if the reception were better.
75 Be very careful where you buy this
I've had my Sidekick for 12 days, only 5 of which with it in active use. Last night, it just died. I went to use it to look up an address while Xmas shopping, and it returned an error message saying that the device was irreversibly broken and directed me to T-Mobile's customer service.
76 problems
I had the black and white version of this and opted out of the contract early. It's premise is cool, and the color version looks nicer but functionality-wise, I can't imagine it's improved over the b&w. The phone consistantly conks out, drops calls, doesn't sound good, and the customer service on the unit is poor. The internal antennae is likely the problem, but there is no way around that issue.
77 a definate buy for those remotely interested.
I was super skeptical about buying a sidekick because of the relatively high price and because I've never used T-mobile before... I bought in and this thing is amazing. As long as you're in a decent coverage area (check the website to make sure) this device is invaluable. Its well worth the retail price if you're into gadgets and the like. It can do everything from surf the internet to function as an alarm clock. Another great thing is its essentially like having Aol Instant Messenger in your pocket. It also has its own email address where the mail is delivered directly to the phone. It's incredible.
In any event, if you're into gadgets this is great. If you're looking for a super-deep PDA, this probably isn't for you (though the included PDA functions are very useful. The calendar is very very nifty. You can set alarms for any day of the week and program it to happen every month, week, etc.)
All in all, if you're questioning whether it's worth the price: I'd have to say yes.
78 Just so darn useful!
Okay, so the mobile web browser is slow compared to my desktop broadband connection, and the battery life isn't what it should be. Still the convenience of mobile web and email, the ease of a real qwerty keyboard, the luminence and clarity of the screen, the simplicity of operation, and the "Wow factor" of the rotating screen makes this a winner.
T-mobile service in NYC could definitely be improved, but if you want a sidekick, you have no choice.
79 Best out there
At this price tbere is not other pda/phone hybrid that can match the sidekick in terms of features and style. Web browsing is a bit slow, but manageble. My only problem with the sidekick is the lack of expandability and upgradability. DANGER, enable the usb port! and let us download custom applictaions.
80 T-Mobile Sidekick - Beta Testers Wanted!!
As soon as I received word that T-Mobile was coming out with a color version to the popular sidekick, I placed myself on the waiting list. Upon receiving my sidekick, I found a phone that was easy to use and full of "useful" features. I purchased the phone from a T-Mobile store (and they partially charged it) but when I got it home I was unable to boot the phone. After several attempts I skimmed the user manual for some tips. I had to do a hard reset and the phone booted up with a problem. Within 30 days, I had to do that procedure two more times. I returned the phone and received another one. Problem fix.
81 By far the best gadget I have ever purchased!!!
I reviewed a bunch of these reviews and comparisons online and found that thanks to all of you people writing these things I got a really great phone slash mini pc. It was easy to get used to. I like the fact I can use the web browser anywhere that I am. I can stay online all day and receive phone calls and instant meassages. I love the little scrolly mouse like feature that the wheel has, it really works well. I am very pleased with my purchase. This is by far the best things little gadget that I have ever purchased and extremely useful. If you are looking for a mini browser with cute games, many options and a decent camera this is your best buy. Amazon has the greatest deal on the price.
82 AMAZING!!!!
The T-mobile sidekick is a dream come true!!!I can stay on top of my emails now, reading them and replying to the important ones in a timely fashion; I was standing in line at the office supply store the other day, answering emails as I waited. I can sit in the coffee shop or bookstore and surf the net without needing the "hotspot" or a wireless card for my notebook. I can instant message anytime I want!!!! The keyboard is small, but even with my large fingers, it hasn't been a problem hitting the keys. The menu is easy to understand, and easy to navigate. I highly recommend this investment to anyone...I love it!!! I feel I should note that I am not using this for a phone, however. I subscribed to the 'data only' plan with T-mobile. Reception hasn't been a problem at all!!!
83 I love my Sidekick!
I have to say, this has been the best PDA / Cell phone I've ever had. I bought a Pocket PC (HP Jornada) when it came out, and thought it was pretty nifty -- but one day it melted down on me. I then got a Cassiopeia, and that didn't last either. I went awhile without a PDA, and then read about the T-Mobile Sidekick online. I bought one, and can't imagine being without out it. Here's some of the things I use it for: getting updated stock $ for my company and competitors, sending and receiving emails and faxes (you have to use a secondary service for that, but it works great), take photos for work and of my family, using the calendar, taking notes, sending IM's to family and friends, going online, and a bunch more.
84 Dropping out of the SKY
I am a pilot. I was trying to fly to Ukiah (Northern California) with my stepfather to see my sister. The weather went Bad and we had to abort the flight due to bad cumulonimbus clouds and our tiny plane. We checked our GPS and found the closest airport. We landed and found ourselves stuck at the Airport till better weather. We parked the plane and looked around, every thing was locked, No phones, no internet for weather forcasts to see when this storm was to blow away, as I had to get to work the next day. The place was dead.
Instant, up-to-the-minute Weather forcasting capability via the internet, I found the closest hotel using the internet, and called a cab to the hotel with the cell phone capability as we were staying the night.
85 Improves communication with teens
As a mother of 3 teenagers, I have had a Sidekick for over a year and have found it to be the best, most efficient way to keep in contact with my kids. I love that there are alternative ways to contact people. I use them all, depending on the communication needs of the moment.
86 sucks
it is awesome buy it! Sucks! do not buy!
87 After owning the Sidekick all other phones just seem useless
My story's simple, I've been using the Sidekick for a while now and diggin' the features, but not really appreciating how crucial it is in my life.
88 great phone, awful signal strength
I LOVE this gadget, lots of features... i can talk on the phone while sending txt or email msgs to my friends, however Tmobile's signal around LOS ANGELES, CA is splotchy... i Can't hold a conversation longer than 3 mins then it drops my call... great little device... just horrible signal...
89 High expectiations, but not compelling enough
I badly wanted to try out this phone. It has just about all the features a guy could want, so when I saw the price drop and the plans through T-Mobile looked pretty good, I took the plunge. The star-rating may not be warranted, depending upon what you're looking for. I wanted to ditch my local phone service and go wireless, I wanted to integrate my PDA, phone, etc., and I wanted to be able to get info from the Web while away from a computer (this often comes in VERY handy).
The interface is great - very easy to learn and the sounds and lights are very fun and very useful. What I found out, however, is that if I cut my local phone service, I lose DSL (and I couldn't write reviews like this easily), so there goes the cost justification. Second the browser is really slow, and if you don't load pictures you lose important things like "submit" buttons. E-mail works well - you learn to type with little buttons quickly. But ... it doesn't sync with my Palm or with Lotus Notes, so I can't integrate my life, such as it is, all into this device. You might love this device! However, go into it with your eyes open!
90 T-Mobile Sidekick
I've had the sidekick for about a month now and I love it! I live in Chicago and its great for taking the CTA bus home, when your bored. I use it main for emails and the news plus AIM. The connnection can be slow at time and it can't get onto flash sites or certain javascript or higher end scripting webpages but other then that everything is cool! I'm actually type this from my sidekick on a bus right now! I only wished I had waited so I could have bought it for $50 instead of the $150 I paid for mine. :-(
91 FANTASTIC!!!!!!
I just got the sidekick today and I already am in love with it! Signal strength is only at one bar and internet is fast! The keyboard is very easy to use. In fact, I am writing this review on it right now! Only thing that could be different on dangers part is to add an mp3 player, radio, and a video player, such as windows media. Highly reccommend, researched this product for many months, along with many palms and windows ce's, but in the end, I am very happy. Worth the extra few dollars for wireless service. Scroll wheel is awsome! Changes every color of the rainbow when an email comes in! Great buy, it's a must have!!
92 Nice features, but T-Mobile's network is poor
The phone is awesome - when it works. Half the time it won't stay connected to T-Mobile's data network. I know this isn't my particular phone because we own two of them and they both have connection problems. How good is the email feature when they don't arrive until 4 hours later?
93 Great Innovative Product
I've just had this new Tmobile Sidekick for 6 days and I'm loving it. I wasn't too sure about going with it, because some of my friends here don't have the best Tmobile reception. But the fact that Amazon.com had such a great deal going on, I had to jump at it. First and foremost,this is not being marketed as a PDA....so you shouldn't purchase this if you're looking for syncronizing with your Outlook email client or other PDA related tasks. This product is mainly for email (upto three pop3/IMAP accounts), AOL instant messaging, text messaging and yes the TRUE INTERNET as it was meant to be. No WAP like the other cell phone internet 'sites'. The great thing about this is that you can actually surf on real websites like you would on your computer. But caveat to the customers, the surfing speed is almost always under 28.8Kbps. Yes that's the speed from back in the days, but it's still great. You can tune it quite a bit by turning off 'Pictures' in the settings portion, that being done - I've seen speeds close to 35Kbps. One more thing, this does NOT support Javascript, so often on you're limited to the sites you may want to go to. Such sites may be highly secure banking sites or simply just not being able to click on an option because it doesn't have java script. Although Danger, the manufacturer of the Sidekick (marketing name under Tmobile) has recently gone into licensing J2me (java mini edition) for their products, so hopefully it'll come with java soon enough. The e-mail portion is a noteworthy section. You get a tmobile account, plus you can set upto three additional pop3/imap accounts on it's email feature. You get alotted 6MB of space and that should be enough to manage your accounts. One of the GREAT features about email is that you can actually view MS Word docs and Adobe PDF files. This product is so intuitive, it seems that Apple creators had something to do with it. From cascading menus to some of the most thoughtful options for your email/IM, this is one well thought out product. Sorry but I can't comment on the Sidekick's phone capabilities, I didn't opt for a voice plan on this. I'm sticking to my ATT cell phone. Other neat features on this product are address books, calendars, notes, To dos list, basic games, world time/alarm, calculator and terminal monkey - which is a telnet application. You can even download some cool ringtones and original songs from their servers. Now about the reception, keep in mind that you purchase such a product for outside of your home use. That being said, reception inside houses aren't good to often just plain bad. But ofcourse you have multiple computers in your house :) So when outside, I've always gotten good reception and have been only occasionaly disconnected. Customer service with Tmobile in the last week has been good. Very receptive reps, who are willing to go the distance to help you out. If you're thinking of getting this for data usage...GO FOR IT.
94 Very cool
Took a gamble on this one but since you can return phones within 2 weeks I figured it would be ok. Found out that I dig this device. The interface is very easy to learn... which is good since the documentation is a little lacking. The screen flip is very cool. You can use it with the screen open or closed. Its like having a small laptop that is online all the time. The email and instant messeging are the best parts. Very well done. I don't use the web much but what I have looked at seems like a smaller version of a regular computer. Phone sounds good. Best to dial from the address book as the dialing from the keyboard isn't as easy. Getting new software wirelessly is really cool. I got 2 updates within a week of buying the device. Copy and Paste was the best new feature. Summary: Give it a look.
95 just what i've been waiting for
I don't use the phone much. Signal is sufficient,I'm satisfied, no real complaints. If your a righty the wheel and back button used to dial and hang up are great. I work in a large office space in brooklyn and as long as i get a signal at my desk then I am happy =). The radio frequency software upgrade does help. doesnt work in the bathroom though (loc of b/r center of building. also doesnt work in office elevator for that matter). My G icon behaves very well in brooklyn and manhattan. If you want something simple and are somewhat of a techie then this is for you. Great for AOL fanatics (well 4 chcking email & IMs). I can check all of my emails inc. my job email on outlook via company web client. There is also a secret game (press menu, shift, 8 while viewing Danger Inc. Credits). Other mobil communication devices that do same job like Handspring will run in the $500 and up category. This is great for simple on the go PIM,Email, IM, Txt msg, Web Browsing, and not to mention Picture taking to capture every moment device. In good lighting pictures are decent when viewed on your PC desktop. T-Mobil Customer Service is Excellent. PS PDA screen protectors are great,shop around for one when u first buy and a good headset as well. Also use your holder and wrist strap, you dont wanna drop this device. Not a sleek thin phone so remember that.
96 would recommend
I use the sidekick mostly to communicate with deaf people. the e-mail features and ability to surf the web make this a fantastic device. coverage is very good when traveling. yes it is a bit bulky, but with the right pouch the device is great.
97 I wanted a SIDEKICK!!!
I tried ordering a sidekick off Amazon.com, and was told it usually ships within 24 hours....its 24 days later.....I still don't have the product and my order has disappeared from my amazon account! After reading the reviews, I really am disappointed to not have one!!!!
98 For some it's good, for most it's stressful
I bought Sidekick two weeks ago and was very dissapointed by its signal reception provided by T-Mobile.
Great organizer, horrible bulky phone. I would not recommend this device for an everyday-use.
99 I cannot put it down!
I was skeptical about the sidekick because it was so different from every other cell phone I had owned. The flip screen is cool but the functionality is AMAZING. I can surf the web like the real web. Not little bits of text on a wap phone. It has helped me out when I was looking for a restaurant, an airplane schedule, a car rental place, look of words on dictionary.com, search google for stuff, etc. I really think I would have a hard time going back to life without it. The email is really cool too. And I also like the instant messanger. It is real time, not clunky at all. It is great to be able to keep in touch with friends, especially when we are trying to hook up for dinner or something and you can chat about where you want to go, etc. I have gotten a couple of my friends to get them and it is awesome when we can chat while walking around.
100 not happy.....
The product was good....but the T-Mobile Plan was not. After one year of having 200 free minutes and 1,000 anytime minutes...I was told the plan is no longer valid and was given a new plan of 60 minutes and 200 anytime minutes for the same price as before. I was also charged twice for the Sidekick Data monthly service charge; which was corrected after my phone call...but was not explained why it happened. I was told that this happens often.
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