T-Mobile Sidekick Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Still Missing That Certain Something!! September 24, 2008

Reviewer:  Always Samsung "ravereviews"  (New York, NY) -

If you have the Sidekick LX theres no need for you to purchase the 2008 T-Mobile Sidekick. All of the exhancements that are on this SK is available on the older models as well which will arrive via software/firmware upgrade. Yes this model has a 2.0 camera rather then 1.3 like the LX but Sharp hasnt been exactly known for having mind blowing pixels on their camera so i doubt you will miss the 0.7. Also you will now be able to enter chat rooms from the AOL Instant Messenger. You can now record video, but it only records 20 seconds and you cant view the the film in full full screen. When you select full screen it only enlarges so much. Its also pretty pixelated as well. Also the recording voice memo feature to send as a text message has been extended from 20 seconds to 1 full minute so that was a welcomed change. Other then that the changes are very minor. The one plus thing about this new model is the ability to create your own SK outter shell. Other then that this model is very boxy & square. Not to trendsetting. Also the screen on this model is small like the SK iD. But i guess for the price point it hits its target audience of the teens that cant shell out the 300.00 for the SK LX. Other then that i hope the next incarnation of the SK will be something more worth wild because these small minor upgrades really dont make a difference.

excellent September 26, 2008

Reviewer:  Micky T  (NYC, NY) -

I got this phone for my birthday and I couldn't have asked for anything better.
It has a 2.0 mega-pixel camera which i must admit isn't that great but come on, its just a camera phone.
Fully loaded internet access. Only thing you cant do is view videos from the net.
Instant messaging (ex. Aol, Msn, Icq, Yahoo)
E-mails from any of your favorite email providers
Speakerphone
Video Capture and Playback
Mp3 player compatible with most music formats
Text and Picture Messaging
Download your favorite wallpapers, screen savers, and ringtones right from the phone
Organizer
Alarm
Notebook
Memo Pad
Games
The only complain I have is that all t-mobile sidekicks (all models) sometimes lose service for a few minutes which enables you to gain access to the internet and instant messaging for a few moments.
Great phone is basically what I am trying to say

Sidekicks have improved apparently... January 24, 2009

Reviewer:  Christina Ovalle 

i scanned some of the other reviews and there is a lot of product information available on this page, so i will try not to be redundant to what is already been said/listed here.

i was a sidekick user for years (sk 2 and sk 3), but displeased with a lot of aspects. so i switched to blackberry. well, having lost my blackberry, for whatever reason, i took a look at the sidekick 08.

a lot of my complaints/issues with previous sidekicks have been fixed. the size and thinness (and related to that the ergonomics, at least for me, the way it fits in my hands) is a vast improvement. the browser seems to be improved over past versions, though it is not 3G, it does operate on the same data network that the sk3 did, and i'm not sure if it's the browser or the network that has improved, but the speed and overall quality (pulling up webpages like myspace used to be a nightmare) has improved. (these are just a few of many improvements, i'm trying not to make this into a laundry list.)

one nice feature, since this is a smart phone aimed at (but not restricted to) a younger audience that might find this more relevant, is that it is very easily customizable. there are a variety of face plates to change the look/color available, or you can create your own custom one. (in the past customization of a sidekick was a bit more troublesome and/or expensive).

that said, while i am quite pleased to be a sidekick user again, some problems remain. (i won't repeat the issues that others have already stated.) one thing i did want to mention was its particularly low battery life (even among smart phones.) i'm not a heavy user, and i still have to charge it either every day or every other day.

there are a lot of smart phone options out there nowadays. my advice is to consider your budget and what you want out of a phone and TRY a variety of smart phones. i personally have a thing for sidekicks, despite switching over for a while to a blackberry. the keyboard for my money is the best full qwerty on any phone (i've tried many) i also find the danger software and OS pretty user-friendly and the layout easy to use for what i want out of a phone.

all this said, i can't honestly say that this is the best smart phone out there. it's NOT. but it's a good and "fun" phone, and it works for me. if price were not a factor, even as much as i am sk fan, i am not entirely sure i would have chosen it, but having chosen it i do not at all regret that choice.

***my four star rating is based on my personal opinion of course, but also is meant to keep in mind the average sk user (yes believe it or not i am familiar with sk demographics. no, i do NOT work for t-mobile-- i was part of a sk research panel) and what they will get out of it, and keeping in mind factors like cost versus other phones, etc.***

Good phone, but missing a few things January 16, 2009

Reviewer:  Dillon D Barnes  (Kansas, USA) -

To begin, I have a sidekick lx, with a 2.0 mp camera, video and all that. I got it June of last year.

Without a doubt, the best part about this phone is the QWERTY keypad. The keys are spaced perfectly, textured right, everything is in the right place, I have yet to find a keypad that comes close to this.

I was a little concerned that the flipping screen would wear out quickly. But after 6 months of abuse, it works just as good.

The trackball on the phone is a good choice, it works well for navigating through menus and web pages.

Instant messaging works well, I enjoy it.

E-mail is nice, I linked it up to my school e-mail and my gmail account. They work pretty well but once every 2-3 months it just stops receiving and i have to reset it, which only takes about 3 min, but can be annoying if you are waiting for an e-mail.

With the keypad, this is a prime phone if you text message a lot. Works well with picture messages too and is easy to navigate and send messages.

Address book allows you to add phone #s, e-mail, IM screen names, web address, street addresses, and any notes. A pretty versatile tool but I rarely use more than one or two of those.

Web browser works pretty well, no java or video still (as with most phones).

Organizer including calender, notes, and tasks comes in handy if you choose to use.

MP3 player, I use it rarely but nice to have music on there if you choose.

CONS:
The phone is targeted at the teen crowd, so if you want a phone for business, I wouldn't suggest it. Compared to a blackberry that can easily sync with a computer to update contacts and calender dates, I haven't found an easy way to do this with the sidekick, which makes the calender and address book less used and less appealing.

I was disappointed with the applications available. You are limited to only those applications in the Download Catalog, so no 3rd party applications on this phone. Good luck trying to use a mapping program through the internet browser, it's a pain in the butt if it works at all. Otherwise I haven't found a mapping application in the download catalog. Another application I wish I had was some kind of stock tool. Asking to actually buy and sell is a lot to ask, especially with all different companies(eTrade, sharebuilder, etc), I don't expect that (though it would be nice). All I would like is a stock tracker. Someway for me to easily and quickly bring up the latest quote on a couple stocks.

So I suppose if I had a choice, personally something like a blackberry or T-mobile dash would have been a better choice for me, but that doesn't mean I'm unhappy with the sidekick. Works exactly as it was designed to work, so you decide if that's right for you.

tmobile sidekick is the greatest phone ever April 14, 2009

Reviewer:  Deborah L. Paffel  (bethesda, md United States) -

i love this phone i got it for my birthday and i couldn't have asked for anything better it is totally conveniant with a cool desighn the swivel screen is a plus
but over all i give it an A++++++++

I love my SK08! February 17, 2009

Reviewer:  A. Huguley "skeptical buyer"  (OKC) -

Back in the day, I had a Sidekick II, and it was great! I then strayed and moved to sprint and SETTLED for a flip phone for a year or so (What was I thinking!?) Well, my contract ran out, and I switched once again to t-mobile with the new and improved Sidekick 2008. It has every feature (except youtube) that I could want in a phone. I'm a text messaging queen (Over 2000 in the first month) and I browse all the time on the internet. I check reviews on Amazon quite often when shopping for stuff in the store.

Anyway, overall, a GREAT phone! No problems so far after two months.

wonderful sidekick December 14, 2008

Reviewer:  M. Harbst "muzicfan@yahoo.com"  (Sacramento, California United States) -

Makes an okay phone, kind of bulky on phone respects. But why I love sidekick, is the wonderful qwerty keyboard, and access to chat, Yahoo IM, and Internet. This phone also has wonderful add on to make it different colors, the Shells are very colorful, and I can change up at any time.

this phone model should be recalled. June 7, 2009

Reviewer:  dainuoti "dainuoti"  (NY, NY) -

This is the WORST model phone you could buy - seriously. I wonder why it has not been recalled. I got this phone right when it came out last summer because, at that time, the internet/messaging bundle was cheaper than that for Blackberry. I also really like the keyboard - I still think it's one of the best out there. I wanted a phone with similar bells and whistles but didn't necessarily need the business functionality of a Blackberry.

All was fine until after about two months the phone would just freeze up and restart itself. This didn't make sense as I'm not one to download many applications or overload a phone with 2657205 text messages and e-mails a day like most kids these days. A moderate amount of use should not have caused this. However, the phone would continue to do this until I removed the battery and sim card. After putting them back in, it would download messages from months ago, but would have deleted the more current ones that I had on previously. I would have to reset my settings, etc. it was a mess.

This continued for several months. After many hours spent on the phone with T-mobile to attempt to resolve the issue, in addition to research on the problem online, it became clear that this is a problem with the phone - not the service, or sim card and battery (which were replaced to no avail).

I also know it's a phone issue because *this happened with all 4 replacement Sidekicks that were sent to me.*

I urge you to look online - just search 'sidekick 2008 restarting' or something along those lines. You'll soon find how common it is.

T-mobile has since swapped out the sidekick for a Blackberry at no cost. I find that I am using this phone more often and have more applications and it has not seized up on me at all.

In conclusion, the Sidekick might seem cute and convenient but it's definitely not worth it.

Doesn't Deserve the Great Reviews.... June 15, 2009

Reviewer:  amanda 

This phone is awful!! I just got this phone in January. Six months later, I'm sending it back to T-Mobile in exchange for a different one. Thank God for the warranty..
It was a great phone up until about two months ago. It started just shutting itself off out of nowhere. I then would not be able to turn the phone back on unless I removed the battery and put it back. Also, when it did this, it would delete everything I had on my phone! It would delete all of my contacts, all of my text messages, all of my bookmarks.. everything! Only the contacts and bookmarks would all come back about an hour or two later.. but very very annoying anyway.
And now, just yesterday, the phone froze and would not respond for about an hour. There was no screen and I was not even able to press any buttons or switch it off... had to remove the battery again. Then it came back on and of course..everything was deleted. And this time it would not pick up any service for another two hours or so.
Horrible horrible phone with far too many bugs...bad idea!

screen January 19, 2009

Reviewer:  A. Stern  (Atlanta, Ga) -

well i have had the sidekick 2008 for about 4 months now and i loved it until about a month and a half ago when the screen cracked. granted i had it in my pocket and i probably bumped into something, but unlike all the other sidekick cell phones which you can easily buy a replacement for this version does not have an available replacement. i was dumb and forgot to get insurance so i can't just send it in and get a new one. once again it was a good phone, but if you are prone to accidents then either by a really good case to protect the screen or stay away.