The Cellphone Junkie Reviews the Sidekick 2008

Mickey Papillon The Cell Phone Junkie has just posted up a great review of the Sidekick 2008. This Quad Band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) phone has GPRS/EDGE for its always-on connectivity. The dimensions of the Sidekick measure 4.72” by 2.26” by .73” and it has a weight of 4.8 oz.  For comparison, the Treo 750 measures 4.37” by 2.28” by .87” and has a weight of 5.4oz. More details after the break.

Phone

As a phone, I found the Sidekick 2008 a bit difficult to use. In order to call any number other than you’re My Faves or Recent calls, you must open the flipping mechanism. Once the number has been called, you then close the screen, or hold a rather awkward open device to your head. Not the easiest phone I’ve ever used. Signal strength was on par with my use of other T-Mobile devices, however the sound quality was considered fair.

Data/Internet

This is where the Sidekick excels. Keep in mind that the EDGE speeds of the device aren’t going to appeal to the 3G junkie, but the built in web browser functions nicely, with full screen layouts on most sites. Email is accessible through either POP or IMAP access, and setup is easy. AOL and Yahoo are the preferred clients, but aren’t required.

Hardware

Starting with the front, the Sidekick has many buttons for easy access to multiple functions. Left of the screen has a menu button, the speaker (which also doubles as a 4 way d-pad) and the dedicated My Faves button for T-Mobile. Right of the screen is a close button, send and end keys, a back button and the track wheel. I found the trackball to be similar to the one on the Blackberry Pearl, and was able to maneuver quickly through the menu system.

For the full review visit Mickeys Blog