It’s here and it’s priced than ever. With a number of big improvements over the original Sidekick, the new T-Mobile Sidekick II is a powerful mobile companion and a tri-band world phone. Flip open the big color screen and shoot off unlimited e-mails on the better-than-ever QWERTY keyboard. Snap a photo with the new built-in camera and send it to your friends. Hop online and check your top Web picks. Or just pick up your Sidekick II and make a call. Oh, did we mention the price? For a limited time, you can get a Sidekick II for just $25 on Amazon.
T-Mobile Sidekick II Design
The Sidekick II is designed to be easy to use in every way. The unique, 240 x 160-pixel screen supports 65,000 colors. It also opens to reveal a full keyboard for all your text messaging, emailing and calendar updates. Many users complained about the original T-Mobile Sidekick’s lack of buttons for quick access to basic functions. All that has been remedied in this new model. New dual purpose dedicated send/end and page up/down buttons make it easier to place calls and surf the Web. Previously, users had to go into the settings menu of the device to change the volume, but new dedicated external buttons make the process easier and more intuitive. What’s more, there’s now an external power button– no more opening the display to turn the handset on. There’s also a new external directional pad that can be accessed without opening the screen, a big plus for gaming applications. The Sidekick II retains the handy rocker switch on the right side of the device for quick menu navigation and selection.
The overall size of the Sidekick II is another big change. The unit is approximately 25 percent thinner than the previous version. Overall, it has been improved to provide a more comfortable feel when used as a phone. It’s also been designed with an integrated camera for the first time. The camera, LED flash unit and self-portrait mirror are located on the back of the Sidekick II.
The Sidekick II runs on the proprietary Hiptop OS, which is designed with a unique wheel-shaped menu for easy selection of applications and functions. The device is built with a total of 48 MB of internal memory.
Calling Features
The Sidekick II’s phone book can hold up to a whopping 2000 contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls. The device also features a speakerphone for easy handsfree talking. Polyphonic ringtones with up to 16 chords are included and more ringtones can be downloaded from T-Mobile’s t-zones service. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there’s a vibrate ringer mode.
Communications Tools
The Sidekick II covers all your messaging needs with support for text messaging and multimedia messaging (MMS) with images, sounds and pictures. When used in combination with the phone’s built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. If instant messaging is your thing, you can use the Sidekick II’s built-in AOL Instant Messenger application to chat with buddies anywhere. Yahoo Messenger is also available via T-Mobile’s application download service. AutoText word completion, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit– a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
If you want email on the go, the Sidekick II has you covered there, as well. With Sidekick Unlimited service, you can get your own 6 MB e-mail account from T-Mobile. Or you can also set up as many as three other personal e-mail accounts in the Sidekick II’s email application. Web browsing is also easy with the Sidekick II and the T-Mobile Sidekick Unlimited plan. View full web pages with the device’s embedded browser and surf T-Mobile’s t-zones service, which offers news headlines, weather updates, game and ringtone downloads, and more.
The Sidekick ships with a number of handy tools, including a calendar with up to 1000 event entries, an alarm that can be set to notify you of calendar events and a to-do list. These tools can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook via the Sidekick II’s USB data connection or wirelessly via the Sidekick II’s Intellisync technology. Intellisync is a unique web-based application that runs on any PC with a web browser. It allows you to view and update your calendar and contacts information and then upload them to your Sidekick II wirelessly. You can even view all the photos on your Sidekick II in a gallery format. All of your data is stored remotely on “cloud” servers. So if your Sidekick is ever lost or stolen (gasp!) your data is safe and accessible.
The Sidekick II allows you to send and receive virtual contact cards (vCards). vCards are a great way to easily save and share contact information with friends and colleagues. Lastly, if you need to find the keyhole after a night on the town, the Sidekick II has a mini LED flashlight.
T-Mobile Sidekick II Phone Details:
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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