Editors' note: The review and ratings have been updated since the original publish date to reflect the new enhancements that were made with release of the June 2008 over-the-air software update.
First released in October 2007, the T-Mobile Sidekick LX impressed us with its slimmer and lighter design and sharper and larger screen. However, we couldn't help but be a little disappointed by the lack of new features. There were some slight enhancements to the music player and a new MySpace Mobile application, but we were left wanting more. Well, with the new software update that was released in June 2008, we finally got it. (Better late than never, right?) The upgrade finally brings video capabilities, stereo Bluetooth support, and more. This, in addition to the strong e-mail and IM capabilities, will certainly appeal to young messaging fanatics. Current Sidekick LX owners will receive the update over the air, while devices that ship after July 29 will have all the new capabilities built into it. The T-Mobile Sidekick LX is available now for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates and discounts.
Design
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX makes quite a first impression. It's noticeably sleeker and sexier than any of the previous Sidekicks, though technically on paper, the LX isn't that much smaller than the Sidekick 3, measuring 5.1 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep, compared with 5.1 inches wide by 2.3 inches wide by 0.8 inch deep. However, the LX is 1 ounce lighter at 5.7 ounces and the slim handheld is just easier to slip into a pants pocket or purse. Plus, we like its updated look and shape--a tad iPhone-esque actually--and you have your choice of two colors: midnight blue or espresso brown.
Perhaps what we're most excited about is the much-improved screen. The low-resolution displays on the previous Sidekicks have always been a sticking point with us as well as users, but finally Sharp gives our eyes a reprieve. The Sidekick LX now has a larger 3-inch, 65,000-color TFT display and a sharper 400x240-pixel resolution. The difference in quality is amazing, as text and images look crisp and colors are more vibrant. You can also choose to customize the home screen with different background themes and change the font size.
The navigation controls surrounding the screen remain pretty much unchanged from the Sidekick 3 and Sidekick iD. To the left you have the Menu and Jump buttons and a directional keypad that doubles as the phone's speakers, and on the right, there is a Cancel button, Talk and End keys, an OK button, and the trackball navigator. Along the bottom edge of the handheld, you'll find the volume rocker and a power button, while along the top, there are two function buttons that perform different tasks depending on which application you are using. We found this last set of controls a bit hard to press since they're tiny and set flush with the phone's surface.
To expose the full QWERTY keyboard, just nudge the upper-right corner or the lower-left corner of the screen to trigger the swivel mechanism, causing it to rotate a full 180 degrees and snap into place--mind your fingers, though. There are some slight modifications to the buttons, but they're all good and we still think the Sidekick's keyboard is one of roomiest and easiest to use. There's plenty of space between the keys, and the buttons now have a frosted, more tactile feel to them unlike the glossy, somewhat slippery ones on the Sidekick 3. We predict happy thumbs. The one gripe we have, and it's one we've had before, is that you have to open the screen in order to dial any numbers and then close it again to continue with the call. That said, the Sidekick LX is comfortable to hold and use as a phone, and it has a textured back, similar to the D-Wade Limited Edition Sidekick 3, so it's easy to grip while messaging.
There's a mini USB port and good news: a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug in a decent pair of headphones. The camera lens, flash, and self-portrait mirror are located on the back, and there's a microSD expansion slot, but it's located behind the battery cover. Finally, for pure flash, you can program the LX to light up like a Christmas tree to alert you to new messages, phone calls, and so forth. There are LEDs built into each of the four corners of the device, and they, as well as the trackball, will flash various colors, depending on what scheme you choose. It's oddly mesmerizing and fun...for about five minutes, but we think it'll definitely appeal to the targeted youth audience.
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX comes packaged with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a carrying case, a wired headset, a 128MB microSD card, and reference material. For more add-ons for your Sidekick LX, check out our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
While the original release of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX didn't offer too many improvements or additions, the new software update that was released in late June 2008 brought several enhancements. We'll start with the LX's messaging capabilities, since that's a major draw of the device. Like previous models, the LX comes with its own T-Mobile e-mail account, but you can also access up to three additional POP3/IMAP4 accounts. The LX ships with an always-on push e-mail solution so you'll automatically be notified of new messages (with an accompanying light show). Though the Sidekick is definitely not a business-minded smartphone, you can have your corporate e-mail forwarded to the LX, and there's an attachment viewer for Word documents, PDFs, and JPEGs.
For instant communication gratification, the Sidekick comes preloaded with three of the major instant-messaging clients: AOL, Yahoo, and Windows Live Messenger. You can hold up to 10 simultaneous conversations, and you can switch between conversations quickly by pressing the Menu and D buttons. And if you happen to lose your network connection in the middle of a session, the Sidekick will save the chat until a connection is restored. IM gets a couple of new tricks with the update. For example, you can now create and join group chats and instantly see who's online from your address book or e-mail. The Sidekick LX also supports text and multimedia messaging.
The LX's phone features include quad-band world roaming, speed dial, call forwarding, three-way calling, a call log, a vibrate mode, and a speakerphone. The Sidekick's address book holds up to 2,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five numbers, an e-mail address, an IM account, a Web URL, a street address, and notes. You can also add contacts to a Favorites list (separate from MyFaves). For caller-ID purposes, you can pair an entry with a photo, a group ID, or one of 22 ringtones. The LX is also a myFaves-compatible phone, giving you unlimited calling to five contacts, regardless of carrier. Plans for myFaves start at $39.99 a month.
Other wireless options on the LX include Bluetooth and EDGE. Supported Bluetooth profiles include those for use with wireless headsets, hands-free car kits, or you can wirelessly send a vCard to another Bluetooth device. We suspect you'll be happy to hear that the A2DP profile has been added with the update, so you can now pair the Sidekick with stereo Bluetooth headsets. You can also send photos, videos, and music via Bluetooth. As for data connection, you're left to rely on T-Mobile's EDGE network with speeds of around 100Kbps to 130Kbps. EDGE is OK, but we would have also liked to see the inclusion of Wi-Fi to have another option for Web browsing.
The one distinctively new feature on the Sidekick LX is the MySpace Mobile application. Located under the Communities page, you can now log on and interact with the social networking site almost in the same manner as you do on your computer. The user interface has been customized for mobile phones, but you still have the ability to edit your profile, upload photos, and so forth. MySpace fiends can even stay signed on and get real-time updates on new messages and comments, friend requests, and see which friends are currently online. Given that the LX will mostly likely attract younger users, the MySpace integration was a smart move on T-Mobile and Danger's part.
The Sidekick LX has a built-in media player, and we're glad to see increased support for various file formats. You can now play MP3, WAV, WMA, and AAC, among others, as well as 3GP and MPEG 4-SP video files. You can search for songs by artist, album, genre, or composer, as well as organize tracks into playlists. To get media onto the Sidekick, you can use the included USB cable and then drag and drop files from your PC to the Sidekick (which should show up as an external drive on your PC). The LX has 64MB of internal memory, so we'd recommend storing your music files on a microSD card, and the LX's expansion slot can accept cards up to 4GB.
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX comes with the same 1.3-megapixel camera and with the new update, now supports video recording and playback. You can take snapshots in three sizes--1,280x1,024, 640x480, or 320x240--and adjust the quality from low to high. Other than that, your editing options are limited; you can activate the flash, change the JPEG quality, or rotate the image, but that's about it. The new video capabilities are an overdue but welcome addition. You can also use the flash in video mode, but be aware that you're limited to a 20-second recording limit. Once done shooting photos and videos, you can create an album right on your device or share your images with others via multimedia message or e-mail. Picture quality was subpar. Though we could make out the images in the picture fairly clearly, colors were washed out and dull. Video quality was also pixilated and there was a hazy effect to the overall picture.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) T-Mobile Sidekick LX in San Francisco using T-Mobile service, and call quality was average. We could hear a slight but annoying background buzz as we talked to friends, but they reported clear audio and said we sounded good. Though we ran into the same ambient noise, we had no problems interacting with our bank's automated voice response system. The speakerphone yielded similarly mixed results. We had difficulty hearing our callers even in a quiet room with the volume at its highest level. On the other hand, our callers didn't have too many complaints other than hearing a slight echo. The one upside is that we successfully paired the LX with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset as well as the Motorola S9 Active Bluetooth Headphones.
General performance was snappy, but surfing the Web seemed pokey on T-Mobile's EDGE network (what can we say--we've been spoiled by 3G). Listening to MP3s on the Sidekick's speakers left much to be desired. The sound was weak and tinny, and any outside noise drowned out the volume, even at its highest level. However, quality improved when we plugged in a nice pair of headphones--thank goodness for the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX's internal 1540mAh lithium ion battery is rated for six hours of talk time and up to four days of standby time. We are currently in the process of running our battery drain tests and will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sidekick LX has a digital SAR rating of 0.89 watt per kilogram.
Smartphones Basic Specs:
Weight:
5.7 oz
Style:
Sidekick
Messaging / Data Features:
Text messages
,
Multimedia messages (MMS)
Messaging Services:
MMS
,
MSN Messenger
,
Yahoo! Messenger
,
AOL Instant Messenger Service (AIM)
Product Basic Spec:
Cellular technology:
GSM
Band / mode:
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
Talk time:
Up to 408 min
Internet Browser:
Yes
Flash memory form factor:
MicroSD
Short Messaging Service (SMS):
Yes
Combined with:
With digital camera / digital player
Included accessories:
128 MB microSD memory card
Width:
2.4 in
Depth:
0.9 in
Height:
5.1 in