On front, there is a front-facing camera for video calling and self-portraits, and some notification lights that tell you when you have messages and other actions to attend to. You have the speaker, which is loud and crisp, and a 3MP camera without flash. On the back of the device, there isn’t a whole lot going on. To the upper left there is a microUSB port that has a protective slot cover, and on the upper right above the menu key area there is a physical camera button. On the lower left you have a 3.5mm headset jack and volume rocker across the way on the lower right there is the power/standby button. It’s the only Android device that comes immediately to mind without a dedicated search button. So, in landscape mode, you’ve got the home button and jump keys on the left hand side flanking the earpiece, and on the right you have the standard Android menu button, an optical track button just below it and the back button below that. In general, the button placement all around is awkward unless you’re holding it the way it was intended. The home button is a hell of a stretch, even with larger hands like mine, when you’re holding it in portrait mode. But you bought a Sidekick because of its keyboard, so use it! The placement of the buttons begs you to use it in landscape mode, too. The soft keyboard buttons are a bit too small to type accurately, so luckily there is Swype. While it’s entirely possible to use the phone in landscape mode, things start to get a little tricky. The Sidekick 4G is also a landscape device. It’s not cumbersome at 5 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches, but it will probably start causing problems if you wear the types of jeans that require a friend in order to put on or remove. This smartphone has healthy curves and a decent amount of bulk to it, but in a good way. It’s not an anorexic device by any means, however, as we’ve grown accustomed to Android devices getting thinner each month. The new Sidekick 4G is very easily recognizable as a Sidekick: its shape and size resembles the Sidekicks of yesteryear even though it’s now made by Samsung instead of Sharp – and the one time Motorola build the Sidekick Slide – and it has the four buttons on each corner that have been a staple of the line of messaging phones. Physical camera key placement isn’t ideal directly across power/standby button.Some lag with applications and gestures.A bit bulky compared to most Android phones these days.Runs Android instead of Danger OS, no longer prone to server crashes.Satisfies what every Sidekick owner loves: form factor, excellent keyboard, great battery life.3.5-inch touchscreen display, 854 x 480 resolution.Now available in T-Mobile stores for $99.99 with a two-year contract Specifications It’s not without its faults, but for those who want a solid Android device, fast Internet speeds and an amazing keyboard, the Sidekick shouldn’t be just for the kids. It is definitely a Sidekick by my standards – I owned the Sidekick 2, Sidekick LX and the Sidekick 2008 (the small one with interchangeable shells) – and admittedly more fun than the previous versions. We first caught wind of the new 4G device a few months ago, but we were skeptical: it’s made by Samsung, it’s powered by Android and it doesn’t even have the swivel screen! Can we really call it a Sidekick?Īfter several days of putting it through use and abuse, we can confidently say yes. App costs can add up quickly.Just when we thought the Sidekick was totally dead, T-Mobile revived the iconic handset with a new manufacturer and new mobile operating system. It may be necessary to set some ground rules with the kids before setting them up to purchase apps at will. First of all, the Android platform is open, complete with the thousands of apps in the Android Market. This new product line is exciting and will appeal to parents looking for phones for the kids, but it would be wise to be aware of a few things that differ from the original Sidekicks. That direction is Android with capable Samsung hardware. Colleague Matt Miller has the details on the new Sidekick hardware that is produced by Samsung and running Android 2.2. This forced T-Mobile, owner of the Sidekick product line, to go in another direction. The failure last year of those servers, resulting in the loss of all user data (eventually restored), likely played a role in the shutdown of the Sidekick service. The cloud service kept user data safely backed up on Danger's servers, the company behind the Sidekick purchased by Microsoft. The Sidekick has long been a top seller for T-Mobile, as much due to the Sidekick service as the phone hardware.
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