| Product Description Compatible with T-Mobile service, the color Sidekick features a large 11-line color screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, the usual PDA features, and a wide range of AOL-based online services, in a device aimed at users who want versatility over portability in their "hiptop" computer. In addition to being a full-featured cell phone, the Sidekick also provides Web browsing on T-Mobile's national GPRS network, which includes access to Sidekick forums, contests, and a personalized homepage.  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). |
| A Customer Review
"The next generation of phones" Calling this just a phone really is a disservice. As a matter of fact, as a phone the SideKick really is only average. Reception is very good (better than my old Nokia), but the form factor takes some getting used to, and dialing #'s not already programmed in can take some work. 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. |
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