The Sidekick & Sidekick LX
The Sidekick is a very popular line of cell phones offered through T-Mobile. Truth be told, I've had no less than three, count 'em 3, Sidekicks over the years. I'm no teen-ager and kids smiled and adults looked confusion when I pulled it out. Yes I've had a iPhone (AT&T's coverage sucks) and now I'm lovin' my G1. But I still have fond memories of my 'kicks.
You're probably not going to be checking your stock portfolio on a Sidekick LX but if you're into TTT - texting, talking, and tunes - then a Sidekick may be just what the doctor ordered.
There are two Sidekick models: the T-Mobile Sidekick 2008 and the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009. The LX is available in orchid and carbon.
The LX (a.k.a. Sidekick Blade) is the better of the two Sidekick models. It supports 3G and HSDPA, has a 854×480 3.2 inch F-WVGA display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, with support for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube streaming playback. The Sidekick LX 2009 synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange. In other words the Sidekick has grown up.
One concession is that T-Mobile has a strangehold on the phone. They offer apps, games, backgrounds, ringtones, shells and skins for the Sidekick and the Sidekick LX through the T-Mobile Studio. I'm not aware of a robust and healthy 3rd party aftermarket but more and more as long as you have web access and a decent browser what else do you need?
While there's a Sidekick SDK with relevant API's getting custom applications onto a Sidekick requires going through the Download Catalog. The other option is to use a Danger Developer Key. Big pain in the butt maing the Sidekick a closed, proprietary device with T-Mobile as the gatekeeper.
Read what others say they'd like to see changed in the Sidekick LX. Amen to WiFi suport!
The deaf community has long embraced the Sidekick because of its instant messaging capabilities and QWERTY keyboard. The Sidekick has access to direct TTY and Relay Operator communications, supplementing if not replacing dedicated TTY/TDD machines. T-Mobile also offers a data-only plan without phone minutes at a reduced cost.
