Sidekick Two, Screen of Blue; All the Neat Things It Can Do!
Written: Apr 11 '05 (Updated Oct 02 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: User-friendly interface, chock-full of useful features
Cons: The phone function was unreliable: missed calls and dropped calls. (My experience, not necessarily yours.)
The Bottom Line: I'm just not cool enough for a "Smart Phone" after all.
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| mashimaru's Full Review: Sharp Sidekick II Smartphone |
I've never used a PDA before. I had a hand-me-down Handspring PDA for a while but never got used to using a stylus to "write" with, and having to stare at a little computer screen to organize my life was maddening. So I decided that perhaps I wasn't a PDA kind of person, and just continued to put my life into my Filofax.
Then it was time for me to switch cell phones. I've had my trusty Sanyo 8100 (Sprint) for a good 18 months now, and its battery life was waning to the point where I needed to recharge at least once a day. After wondering if maybe I should switch cell service now that I can take my phone number with me, I became enticed by the T-Mobile Sidekick II. It had scheduling, note-taking, address book, camera and many other features, including a roomy QWERTY style keyboard. The thought of having everything in one place was too good to resist. I've been using the Sidekick II for six months.
The Sidekick II has a really great design for this type of device - a "switchblade"-type screen that you flip out to reveal the keyboard. You flick, and it swings out. Cool! The Sidekick II's keyboard, in my opinion, is the most easy-to-use of all the "smart phones" I've tried, such as the Treo and the Blackberry. Typing on the Treo feels like I'm picking at rice kernels, and the Blackberry was not particularly finger-friendly, either. (And I have small fingers, too.) Typing on the Sidekick II is remarkably easy in comparison. I can type long texts with surprising ease.
* Design:
The Sidekick II has a funky look, kind of like a gaming device. (The device's actual name is the very apropos "Hiptop.") The controls are designed to be operated mostly with your two thumbs. It's got cool rubber bumpers along the edges, which can be replaced with other colors for fun! The keyboard is back-lit and covered with black rubber which helps you grip the keys and also to protect the keyboard. And again, the flip-out screen is always a crowd-pleaser.
All the controls are laid out in an intuitive way, so they are easy to figure out. There are four control buttons on each corner of the face, and four buttons on the edges: memorizing what they do is a snap. And then there are the two navigation controls: the directional pad, and the thumb wheel (ensconced between the traditional "send" and "end" buttons, which also function as "page up" and "page down" buttons.) It's remarkable how user-friendly this is: I was up and running in a matter of minutes. And when you're making phone calls, you can dial numbers in three different ways: using the numbers on the top row on the keyboard, or using the keypad layout (replicated on the right section of the keyboard when you're in "phone" mode), or using your thumb wheel with the on-screen keypad.
The directional pad lights up with colors when the phone rings: you can even program the colors, or just turn it off. Also, all the ringer settings are very customizable into several pre-set profiles that you can modify, and you can even create your own profiles. The rings themselves are pleasant as well. And the phone at the loudest setting makes quite a racket, so it's sure to wake even those who sleep deeply. (Like me.)
* Functions:
The Sidekick II uses its own operating system (not Windows) which is easy to navigate. You can access all its functions from the "Jump Screen" - the address book, e-mail, text messaging, AIM, a web browser, and more.
Address Book:
The address book is very easy to use, and allows you to store a great deal of detail for each entry. It's a great way to organize your ever-growing list of contacts.
My only complaint here is that after you locate a phone number in Address Book mode, pressing the "send" button will not dial the number, but act as a "page down" button instead. So you have to go into the Menu and select whether you want to call that number, or send a text message instead. It's complicated enough that I keep pushing the wrong button, and just another indication that this device is not primarily a phone.
E-Mail:
The e-mail program will let you check three POP accounts in addition to your username@tmail.com address. The program is easy to set up, and looks like a traditional basic e-mail program.
Text Messaging:
It looks a lot like the e-mail program, but simpler. Great for dashing off quick little messages to anyone with a cell phone.
AIM:
Again, easy to set up and use. You're up and running in minutes! You can also download Yahoo! Messenger for free, if that's your pleasure.
Web Browser:
The browser will let you use almost any site, i.e., the website does not need to optimized for mobile devices. It's very convenient to be able to get movie listings, restaurant info, and driving directions on the go.
Calendar & Notes:
The Sidekick II also features a Notes section, which will let you write and store a bunch of notes, and also a calendar which features a To-Do List section that will let you set alarms for your tasks. Very handy.
Camera:
Sidekick II's camera is cleverly designed with the lens at the bottom - so you hold the Sidekick up like you would a regular camera. It's got a flash, but no zoom. The quality of the pictures are not very good, however - they look fuzzy and washed out. The photos I took with the Samsung d415 are much better: there's simply no comparison.
Syncing With Your Computer:
The Sidekick II can be connected to your computer with a USB cable. In addition, there is a Desktop Interface, which you access from www.tmobile.com. From the Desktop Interface, you can access and modify everything on your Sidekick: your notes, calendar, address book, and pictures. Personally, I prefer using the Desktop Interface instead of the USB connection, because I don't have to mess with the cable, and can use any computer. I don't even have to have my Sidekick with me to see the information that I need.
In addition, you can also download a program (for $10) that will sync your Sidekick II with your Microsoft Outlook.
On top of all these features, you can also play games. The Sidekick II comes with a cool asteroid game, and you can download others.
The Sidekick II has a speaker phone and a headphone jack. Of course, you can also hold it up to your ear like a candy-bar style phone. As with any "Smart Phone," this actually isn't the ideal way to have phone conversations. Yeah, you can hold a Blackberry or a Treo up to your ear, but it doesn't feel as comfy and natural as a dedicated cell phone, either. Probably the best way to talk on the Sidekick is with a headphone/mic (which is included).
* Phone Calls:
Incoming:
Sometimes the phone just wouldn't ring when it should. And then the caller leaves a message, but I won't even get a "missed call" indication, or a voice mail alert. I don't mind missing a call once in a while if I'm out of range or something, but why don't I at least get a voice mail alert when I go back in range? I only find out that they called at all only after I get a subsequent voice mail alert from another call: I would check my voice mail, and notice that there is another new message that I had no idea was there. This has happened twice during my first two weeks after switching to the Sidekick II. Not good. And one time, my husband called me from upstairs (with his T-Mobile phone) and left me a message, and my Sidekick II didn't ring - it was only about 100 feet away. This happened often enough that I called T-Mobile customer service (from a land line), and asked them to call my Sidekick II, which was powered on, and right next to me. And there was no ring, no "missed calls" indication, and no voice mail alert. So this was definitely a problem.
Why didn't I quit T-Mobile then? I was still within my 30-day refund period. The reason I didn't switch was because T-Mobile assured me that they are upgrading their networks in my area, and I will sure to see a difference very soon. They also threw in some bonus minutes, which sweetened the deal. But also, my husband was using a family plan with me and actually liked his phone and didn't have any problems, so I felt bad making him change because of me. So I just stuck with it and hoped for the best. Besides, no cell service is perfect, anyway.
I do think this problem has improved. I haven't missed as many calls during the latter part of the last 6 months. But I've never been able to rely 100% on my Sidekick II to receive my phone calls, which has been frustrating.
T-Mobile recently updated their voice mail system. Before the upgrade, you got a text message letting you know that you had voice mail. (In a way, this was good because the text message would tell you how many voice mail messages you had. But there was no distinction from a voice mail text message or a regular text message - not that this is a hardship, but it was a little weird.) Since the update, when I get a voice mail, I get a little "tape" icon, instead of a text message - just like with other cell phone services. And since this update, I haven't missed any voice mail alerts.
Reception:
Unfortunately, I didn't get the best reception with my Sidekick II. I definitely had a lot of dropped calls, especially if I was talking in the car (always with a hands-free device, of course). For example, I might have a 20 minute conversation driving on the 405 freeway between Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the conversation would disconnect an average of three times. This happened pretty routinely. I thought T-Mobile just had spotty coverage, and it couldn't be helped. And of course, sometimes I just figure it's them and not me. But it was pretty annoying.
However, my husband wasn't having the same problems with his phone. And since I've switched to another T-Mobile phone, I haven't had this problem, even while speaking to the same people, and driving the same road.
* Conclusion:
I do recommend the Sidekick II. It's a fun-to-use device that can easily be the go-to gadget in your life. It will keep in touch with your friends in every way, and holds all the information you need. And having mobile web access can be more convenient than you know.
However, I had some trouble with phone calls: getting them and staying connected to them. I was convinced that the problem was the T-Mobile network, but I've eventually come to feel that it might be a problem with the Sidekick II, because I've switched devices (Samsung x475) and have gotten great phone reception with it: no dropped calls, no problem receiving calls. Oh well, some phones just get better reception than others.
So I have conclude that the phone isn't Sidekick II's strength, at least based on my experience. Aside from feeling inevitably awkward to use than a dedicated phone, the reception has been a consistent problem. But when it comes to everything else, Sidekick II is great - it's especially great for texting and IM'ing. A recent New York Times article I read said that your average teenager texts more than they talk. Amazing! (This is a problem for some parents because all the text messages add up to 100's of dollars of unexpected costs. At $0.05 each, that's a lot of text messages!) The Sidekick II with its superior keyboard and unlimited text messaging plan is made for these types of users.
I send my share of text messages, too. But I definitely use my mobile communication device (whatever it happens to be) more for talking than for anything else. I guess I wanted to try the Sidekick II because it was cool, and that it would somehow transform me into a PDA person. But that didn't happen.
So if you're like me, and use your cell phone primarily for talking, the Sidekick II may not be for you. It isn't for everyone. But if you are accustomed to using PDA's, and want to have text/e-mail and IM (and many other features) on the go, the Sidekick II is an easy-to-use, feature-rich device that you will enjoy. For one thing, the major input method (keyboard) is superior to just about any on-the-go device out there. And the interface is intuitive and simple. It looks cool, its design is innovative, and it's user-friendly. Thumbs up!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 175
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Epinions.com ID:
mashimaru
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 in Electronics |
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Location: California
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"Heavy is the head that eats the crayons!"
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