Sharp Sidekick II Smartphone
Out of stock |
Similar in Cellular Phones
- Installed Memory: 32 MB
- Design: Mobile
- Style: Smartphone
- Network Type: GSM 900 GSM 1800 GSM 1900 GSM
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
T-Mobile Sidekick (Danger): Too good to be true?
Pros
Web browsing easy and effective; only decent wireless Internet plan in the industry
Cons
T-Mobile coverage spotty; use a little awkward as a cellphone
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Good (albeit imperfect) Internet access combined with a nicely thought out PDA means a killer device for Internet fans.
What is the T-Mobile Sidekick?
The Sidekick is a cell phone combined with web browser, email, AOL Instant messaging and phone text messages, all in one convenient wrapper. The included keyboard promises easy typing, as opposed to fiddly handwriting, and the $39.95 all you can eat Internet access is groundbreaking indeed. So how does it work in practice? Read on.
Service in T-Mobile Stores
Service in T-Mobile stores ranges from amazingly good to poor. The first T-Mobile salesperson I met, Jason in the Topanga Plaza shopping mall, did an excellent job explaining the unit to me. Unfortunately he was unable to sell me one because their demo unit was out and I couldn't see it. If you have the opportunity, ask for him and throw him some business; I feel bad I didn't buy from him.
The subsequent salespeople were a great deal more high pressure, and less knowledgeable about the product. So you may want to try a few different stores and a few different salespeople.
Why did I go to different stores? Because nobody had it. I was finally able to purchase it at CompUSA, where they had three available. So if you want a Sidekick and you can't find it at T-Mobile stores, check CompUSA before giving up.
Setup: Not for the impatient
If you need a cellphone immediately after walking out of the store, the T-Mobile Sidekick dissappoints immensely. Instead, you leave the store, determined to try it out, plug it in and see a message saying that it's trying to access its network. After about ten minutes, you're asked for a user name and password.
At that point, my experience with the device started turning sour. A screen popped up asking me to wait five minutes; after about five hours, I called up support. Turns out their network was badly overloaded; it should be working within 24 hours, they told me.
Until I was able to register, the cellphone could only dial 611 and 911, and Internet access wasn't available at all. Frustrating.
Although T-Mobile tech support could not do anything thanks to the nature of my problem, I can at least report that it was easy to access, and the reps were friendly and sympathetic.
I finally got service working, about 24 hours or so after getting the device. So we're on to ...
Using the Sidekick
The theory behind the device is that it should most appeal to 18-35 year old folks who want something flashy. In theory, at 40 years of age, I am sadly outside the target demographic. I'm not really sure what to make of this, since the "youth-oriented" features were pretty cool. For instance, you can assign a ring tone to specific phone numbers. Cute. The phone is capable of flashing all sorts of different colours, which is also cute.
Unfortunately, the display is monochrome, and as a result isn't nearly as cool as the Sony Colour CLIE. Pity the CLIE has no Internet access, so it's pretty limited in what you can read. However, text is just about as clear as on the CLIE - it may be small, but it's tack-sharp.
The screen is about halfway between the size of most cellphone screens and a full-fledged Palm device like the CLIE. You might think at first that this would be too small to adequately read web pages, but you'd be wrong - at least if you have the vision of an 18-35 year old. (This is what that legendary age range really means). I can read it pretty well, but sometimes I have to rest my eyes on something else or hold the device close to my eyes.
A colour Sidekick is coming sometime in the first or second quarter next year. There is a trade-in deal where I can apparently get $100 off the new system. Not bad. I'm sure I will upgrade because the colour screen is one of the few things I miss about the CLIE when compared to the Sidekick.
The Keyboard
One of the major highlights of this machine is the small but very usable portable keyboard. It's not nearly as good as a full-sized keyboard, of course, but it's miles better than trying to scribble Graffiti on a Palm device.
You can scroll the device with the scroll wheel on the right, and select an option by clicking it. This is very convenient and works well. You can also page down with the 'space' key and page up with the '@' key, which is to the left of the spacebar. The @ key was one of their better ideas - they moved it around to make it easier to type than on a conventional keyboard. This is very nice when typing email addresses and the like.
The Web Browser
I bought my SideKick primarily for web browsing, so this is going to be an unusually detailed part of the review.
The web browser works very well for text pages. You can view and scroll through them with ease. Generally, the more text content there is on a page, the better the browser works.
The Sidekick can display images, but since it uses only 16 levels of grayscale, they are barely recognizable as images. Hopefully the colour version will help. This is especially strange considering the camera accessory; pictures from the camera are next to impossible to preview on the device. You're better off emailing them to yourself than trying to view them on the Sidekick.
The browser is not ultimately fast, but it's definitely usable and is a great lunch companion. Just sit down for your lunch, and while you're waiting for your fine cuisine, play with your Sidekick. The minutes you wait for your pasta will seem like seconds. Traditionally, I have brought books and magazines to read during lunch, at great expense; the SideKick enormously reduces my need for same, and is therefore likely to save me money over its monthly fee.
Page rendering is very good. Note, however, that it renders most multi-column pages column by column. So the main page of The Register [http://www.theregister.co.uk] appears with the advertisements on the left side first, then the articles, and then more ads. This can be annoying since it's much harder to ignore the ads when they are displayed this way, especially when you're waiting for the rest of the page to download.
Mail
The Mail service is very similar in appearance to Outlook. In my tests, it worked very well. Curiously enough, the email seemed to get through even when there was no phone service; I would guess that the service is really there, but it takes multiple tries to transmit the data. This makes the data service significantly more reliable than voice, something you should keep in mind when telling people how to contact you.
I didn't try the AOL Instant Message option because I don't use AOL Instant Messenger, although I may succumb in time. (Finding an AOL screen name will be a royal pain).
SMS messaging works in a similar way to email - I was able to get a SMS message to work in a room where the basic cellphone service was not active.
This brings us to the matter of ...
T-Mobile Coverage and Service
I tried the Sidekick in a number of different locations, and my overall impression is that service is fair to poor. Here's the rundown:
In my house, I get no service at all. Right outside of my house, I get good enough service to test the device, but it's still not great.
In California Pizza Kitchen, I can sit in any table and get good data reception. (I haven't tried making calls from there).
In another local restaurant, which has heavier decor and a table a long way from the window, I get no service at all.
In the Bill Simon campaign bus rocketing down the freeway to San Diego last Sunday, I got very good to excellent reception with only a couple of blind spots in the whole three hour trip.
I have only made ten minutes worth of calls on the device. Most of them have not been great, but it's not clear if that's my cellphone's fault or that of the cellphone I'm talking to.
My conclusion is that if you need to use this device as a cellphone, you may want to wait for T-Mobile's network to mature. It's not great, but - it has to be admitted - the data service is enormously better than none at all.
Durability
The device seems acceptable rugged, except that the screen scratches very easily. My screen has already accumulated a big gouge (conspicuous enough for me to notice in routine use) and numerous smaller scratches. They tell you to always leave it in its case, but since its case is opaque, you can't use it that way. As a result, I tended to leave it outside of its case, and that allowed the scratches to accumulate. So far, none of them have significantly interfered with my enjoyment of the device, but they're undeniably annoying.
The Plan
T-Mobile only offers one SideKick plan, $39.95 per month with unlimited data, 1000 SMS messages, 200 minutes of weekday voice, and 1000 weekend minutes. This plan is poor if you're a heavy cellphone user. If you are a light cellphone user and a heavy data user, like me, it's perfect and the price is undeniably right.
Conclusion
If you love the Internet and want to have it around you at all times, this is the only available device with a plan that won't leave you in the poorhouse after your first month.
It also has a good clear display, an exceptionally easy user interface, and a great keyboard. Its size is necessary due to its basic nature, and I never found it a problem in actual use.
Despite the flaws I've mentioned in this article, it's been my constant companion since I bought it - and I haven't lost it yet. That in and of itself is an enthusiastic recommendation.
The Sidekick is a cell phone combined with web browser, email, AOL Instant messaging and phone text messages, all in one convenient wrapper. The included keyboard promises easy typing, as opposed to fiddly handwriting, and the $39.95 all you can eat Internet access is groundbreaking indeed. So how does it work in practice? Read on.
Service in T-Mobile Stores
Service in T-Mobile stores ranges from amazingly good to poor. The first T-Mobile salesperson I met, Jason in the Topanga Plaza shopping mall, did an excellent job explaining the unit to me. Unfortunately he was unable to sell me one because their demo unit was out and I couldn't see it. If you have the opportunity, ask for him and throw him some business; I feel bad I didn't buy from him.
The subsequent salespeople were a great deal more high pressure, and less knowledgeable about the product. So you may want to try a few different stores and a few different salespeople.
Why did I go to different stores? Because nobody had it. I was finally able to purchase it at CompUSA, where they had three available. So if you want a Sidekick and you can't find it at T-Mobile stores, check CompUSA before giving up.
Setup: Not for the impatient
If you need a cellphone immediately after walking out of the store, the T-Mobile Sidekick dissappoints immensely. Instead, you leave the store, determined to try it out, plug it in and see a message saying that it's trying to access its network. After about ten minutes, you're asked for a user name and password.
At that point, my experience with the device started turning sour. A screen popped up asking me to wait five minutes; after about five hours, I called up support. Turns out their network was badly overloaded; it should be working within 24 hours, they told me.
Until I was able to register, the cellphone could only dial 611 and 911, and Internet access wasn't available at all. Frustrating.
Although T-Mobile tech support could not do anything thanks to the nature of my problem, I can at least report that it was easy to access, and the reps were friendly and sympathetic.
I finally got service working, about 24 hours or so after getting the device. So we're on to ...
Using the Sidekick
The theory behind the device is that it should most appeal to 18-35 year old folks who want something flashy. In theory, at 40 years of age, I am sadly outside the target demographic. I'm not really sure what to make of this, since the "youth-oriented" features were pretty cool. For instance, you can assign a ring tone to specific phone numbers. Cute. The phone is capable of flashing all sorts of different colours, which is also cute.
Unfortunately, the display is monochrome, and as a result isn't nearly as cool as the Sony Colour CLIE. Pity the CLIE has no Internet access, so it's pretty limited in what you can read. However, text is just about as clear as on the CLIE - it may be small, but it's tack-sharp.
The screen is about halfway between the size of most cellphone screens and a full-fledged Palm device like the CLIE. You might think at first that this would be too small to adequately read web pages, but you'd be wrong - at least if you have the vision of an 18-35 year old. (This is what that legendary age range really means). I can read it pretty well, but sometimes I have to rest my eyes on something else or hold the device close to my eyes.
A colour Sidekick is coming sometime in the first or second quarter next year. There is a trade-in deal where I can apparently get $100 off the new system. Not bad. I'm sure I will upgrade because the colour screen is one of the few things I miss about the CLIE when compared to the Sidekick.
The Keyboard
One of the major highlights of this machine is the small but very usable portable keyboard. It's not nearly as good as a full-sized keyboard, of course, but it's miles better than trying to scribble Graffiti on a Palm device.
You can scroll the device with the scroll wheel on the right, and select an option by clicking it. This is very convenient and works well. You can also page down with the 'space' key and page up with the '@' key, which is to the left of the spacebar. The @ key was one of their better ideas - they moved it around to make it easier to type than on a conventional keyboard. This is very nice when typing email addresses and the like.
The Web Browser
I bought my SideKick primarily for web browsing, so this is going to be an unusually detailed part of the review.
The web browser works very well for text pages. You can view and scroll through them with ease. Generally, the more text content there is on a page, the better the browser works.
The Sidekick can display images, but since it uses only 16 levels of grayscale, they are barely recognizable as images. Hopefully the colour version will help. This is especially strange considering the camera accessory; pictures from the camera are next to impossible to preview on the device. You're better off emailing them to yourself than trying to view them on the Sidekick.
The browser is not ultimately fast, but it's definitely usable and is a great lunch companion. Just sit down for your lunch, and while you're waiting for your fine cuisine, play with your Sidekick. The minutes you wait for your pasta will seem like seconds. Traditionally, I have brought books and magazines to read during lunch, at great expense; the SideKick enormously reduces my need for same, and is therefore likely to save me money over its monthly fee.
Page rendering is very good. Note, however, that it renders most multi-column pages column by column. So the main page of The Register [http://www.theregister.co.uk] appears with the advertisements on the left side first, then the articles, and then more ads. This can be annoying since it's much harder to ignore the ads when they are displayed this way, especially when you're waiting for the rest of the page to download.
The Mail service is very similar in appearance to Outlook. In my tests, it worked very well. Curiously enough, the email seemed to get through even when there was no phone service; I would guess that the service is really there, but it takes multiple tries to transmit the data. This makes the data service significantly more reliable than voice, something you should keep in mind when telling people how to contact you.
I didn't try the AOL Instant Message option because I don't use AOL Instant Messenger, although I may succumb in time. (Finding an AOL screen name will be a royal pain).
SMS messaging works in a similar way to email - I was able to get a SMS message to work in a room where the basic cellphone service was not active.
This brings us to the matter of ...
T-Mobile Coverage and Service
I tried the Sidekick in a number of different locations, and my overall impression is that service is fair to poor. Here's the rundown:
In my house, I get no service at all. Right outside of my house, I get good enough service to test the device, but it's still not great.
In California Pizza Kitchen, I can sit in any table and get good data reception. (I haven't tried making calls from there).
In another local restaurant, which has heavier decor and a table a long way from the window, I get no service at all.
In the Bill Simon campaign bus rocketing down the freeway to San Diego last Sunday, I got very good to excellent reception with only a couple of blind spots in the whole three hour trip.
I have only made ten minutes worth of calls on the device. Most of them have not been great, but it's not clear if that's my cellphone's fault or that of the cellphone I'm talking to.
My conclusion is that if you need to use this device as a cellphone, you may want to wait for T-Mobile's network to mature. It's not great, but - it has to be admitted - the data service is enormously better than none at all.
Durability
The device seems acceptable rugged, except that the screen scratches very easily. My screen has already accumulated a big gouge (conspicuous enough for me to notice in routine use) and numerous smaller scratches. They tell you to always leave it in its case, but since its case is opaque, you can't use it that way. As a result, I tended to leave it outside of its case, and that allowed the scratches to accumulate. So far, none of them have significantly interfered with my enjoyment of the device, but they're undeniably annoying.
The Plan
T-Mobile only offers one SideKick plan, $39.95 per month with unlimited data, 1000 SMS messages, 200 minutes of weekday voice, and 1000 weekend minutes. This plan is poor if you're a heavy cellphone user. If you are a light cellphone user and a heavy data user, like me, it's perfect and the price is undeniably right.
Conclusion
If you love the Internet and want to have it around you at all times, this is the only available device with a plan that won't leave you in the poorhouse after your first month.
It also has a good clear display, an exceptionally easy user interface, and a great keyboard. Its size is necessary due to its basic nature, and I never found it a problem in actual use.
Despite the flaws I've mentioned in this article, it's been my constant companion since I bought it - and I haven't lost it yet. That in and of itself is an enthusiastic recommendation.
