T-Mobile Color Sidekick Phone (T-Mobile)

Rating:
Summary: Compared to a treo 600
Review: Treo +:
* Many more apps. More sophisticated apps available.
* Has built in camera
* Able to sync with PC software
* Lighter

Sidekick +:
* 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

Treo -:
* 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.

Sidekick -:
* 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.

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.

Rating:
Summary: don't buy it pleeeeze!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding phone
Review: 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?

Rating:
Summary: VERY FRAGILE!
Review: 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.

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.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great handheld!!!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: NOT!!!Ultimate PDA umm...Phone thingy
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Report card: A+ Idea, B+ Web, A Email, F+ TMobile, D Phone
Review: 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.

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 <blah>, 2 for <blah>." Well sometime you have to spell something on the dial pad, for example the first three letters of your last name. The numeric pad does not have corresponding letters on the buttons, like every other phone on the planet. So, you have to resort the the dial pad on the screen, which is very difficult, especially when driving. You will have to pull over.

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.

Rating:
Summary: Be very careful where you buy this
Review: 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.

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.

Rating:
Summary: problems
Review: 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.

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.

Rating:
Summary: a definate buy for those remotely interested.
Review: 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.