Jumat, 01 Agustus 2008

The entry-level Sidekick from T-Mobile, out today, duplicates many of the features of the flagship LX model and adds some fun touches for creative customers.

Believe it or not, there are those among the phone-buying public who do not crave an iPhone. T-Mobiles young-skewing Sidekick line has been the middle ground for those who want something more text- and IM-friendly than Apples grope-craving gadget and arent ready to subside into corporate BlackBerry gathering. The latest entry-level edition - simply called the Sidekick - advances the cause with a svelte new design and one nearly irresistible addition.VIDEO: See the Sidekick in action

Its not 3G - yet. T-Mobile hints a 3G phone is on the horizon, but the new phone ($149.99 with a two-year T-Mobile service contract) is still percolating along on the GSM/EDGE network. Instead, the newest Sidekick offers the option to personalize the phones exterior with shells, swappable hard-plastic cases that users can custom-order in nearly any way they like. (Think jewelry for your phone, at $15 a bauble.)

Longtime fans may have tried the adhesive, disposable "skins" popularized by third-party outfits such as Skin-It. T-Mobile, apparently realizing that their in-house expertise doesnt much extend to aesthetics, is partnering with Skin-It to offer customization online (sidekickshells.com). Though this may remind some observers of the now-discontinued Sidekick iD (also a low-end version with swappable shells), Im pleased to report that this time T-Mobile got interchangeability right. The reusable shells feel sturdy and look great. I did struggle a bit to swap shells on and off the body without bumping the actual On/Off button. Once on, they stayed on despite bumps and drops. The controls have been changed slightly so the shells dont impede the user actions such as clicking or scrolling.

We tried the online customization tool and managed to whip up a variety of pretty little confections - some incorporating our own uploaded photos and text - before settling on a version we liked. The artistically challenged can choose from dozens of good-looking pre-designed shells, or look through an online gallery (sidekick.com/gallery) of shells created by other users, though those are only viewable for inspiration, not purchase.

The phone itself does exhibit one design improvement thatll appeal to anyone whos ever abashedly put a Sidekick to their ear - at long last, the Sharp-manufactured handset itself is svelte enough to not look like a bar of soap. The new edition is thinner, narrower and lighter than the flagship LX product, with a slightly smaller screen and keyboard that made remarkably little difference in user experience. (Ironically, it now has Bluetooth and thus many elegant, non-soap-like headset options.)

Buttons and other controls are in the same place though smaller and streamlined, as is the 2-megapixel camera (up from 1.3 megapixels on the LX) - though the version on the new unit has no flash. And the signature QWERTY keyboard - tucked away under the ultra-sharp WQVGA screen that twirls up and away for use - is still the speed-demon pleasure it ever was, with a nice textured feel to the keys. If youre heavily into texting, IM, or (to a lesser extent) email, iPhones multi-touch seems downright counterintuitive next to this device.

Current Sidekick owners are awaiting an OTA (over-the-air) upgrade to their systems thatll provide a wealth of application enhancements, almost all of which are already present in the new handset. Primary among those is video capability; the handset we saw shot about 20 seconds of video at a time. It was sub-YouTube quality, definitely, but sufficient for sending to friends on a whim. The browser now has an iPhone-like "mini-page" option for faster navigation, and download management has been streamlined. The unit ships with a 512MB Micro SD memory card for storing photos, music, video and the like; that works out to around 2473 still photos and over eight hours of music.

At just shy of $150 (after rebate) with a two-year service agreement, the new Sidekicks priced rather higher than some of the entry-level phones with which T-Mobile says its competing, though well below both the $400 LX and the iPhone/BlackBerry contingent. In fact, considering the fun I had making my own shells and the similarity of the new models functionality to that of the LX, it may be that this pretty little Sidekick is competing with the lines own current users - if theyre not already mentally committed to withstanding the wait for 3G.

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