T-Mobile Sidekick LX Unboxing
Not happy to let the T-Mobile Sidekick be the only device to keep its name, T-Mobile has, as you all know, released the update to the Sidekick LX named… the Sidekick LX. Similarities don’t end there, however. We’ve covered the device a little bit but we’ve now got a unit of our own and in addition to some unboxing photos, here are some of our continued first impressions:
The screen is possibly the best screen we’ve seen on a mobile device. RIM really nailed it with the Bold and 8900 but we think the ‘kick take it one level further. Anyone who has used a Sidekick before will obviously be right at home. The main navigation buttons like Jump, Back, Menu, Cancel are all in the same positions and the trackball makes navigating really simple. What about the keyboard? Any real ninja (not you fake ninjas) will know that the Sidekick holds the title for best mobile QWERTY. Ever. It’s not debatable and you will be banned for making a comment that says otherwise. So how is the LX’s keyboard? Fan-friggin-tastic! Really, really awesome. The thinness of the device is much appreciated nowadays but we really wish they’d step it up in the application department. Apple’s App Store approval process makes T-Mobile’s Catalog approval system look uncivilized and down right stupid at best, plus, it’s not like there are any great tools to develop applications with either on the Sidekick. At the end of the day it’s about the OS and we’re not sure Danger’s OS cuts it.
As far as the social aspect of the device, there’s still some major idiot decisions all around. First off, the 6MB mailbox. Do you even want anyone to at least try and take this seriously? It seems like you do. You added Exchange support finally. 6MB though? Get real. The browser is still pretty horrid and with no other 3rd party options, you’re out of luck. As usual, the Sidekick holds the crown for instant messaging. Yes, it does. Now with photo support (something that should have been added long ago), too. MySpace on the Sidekick is crack (if you uh, still use MySpace), but we need some time to dig into the new Twitter app and Facebook app.
All in all, the key phrase for the last two years for the entire industry (minus a very, very select few exceptions) has been evolutionary and not revolutionary. In a world where even Google is having trouble battling the BlackBerry, Apple and Nokia champs, the Sidekick brand (or Danger, or Dangersoft) really needed to come out swinging. It’s a completely different landscape than it used to be when the Sidekick reigned supreme, and we keep feeling like each new Sidekick product cycle should have happened an entire cycle ago — not where the roadmap currently sits. We’ll dive into this thing and get a review going. For now, check out some flicks in the gallery!
Click on over to our T-Mobile Sidekick LX Unboxing gallery!
Wow…..another sidekick…… Does anyone above the age of fifteen even care about these things?
another device that’s incomplete
It’s not debatable and you will be banned for making a comment that says otherwise
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kidding, right?
thought the bold/niagara/tour is the best. go figure…………….
Yes, of course kidding.
Bold/Tour or Sidekick LX/Sidekick 2 is pretty hard to choose between but I guess I’d go with Bold since it’s less wide.
who cares? wheres the palm pre,new iphone, blackberry qwerty touch info?
Meh, I guess the 6MB is a little. Especially for the people there looking to bring in but for me its fine. Hold my school account as well as my yahoo, and gmail.
Im just wondering why you say the browser is horrid. I find my LX browser fine. It loads pages up perfectly, condenses it into a screen size layout but yet still offers the option to view the original layout, and zoom in or out. Im guessing your talking about flash support or something like that, which in that case, I would agree.
@Rosario
It just doesn’t cut it anymore. While everyone has gone client-side with rendering (even BlackBerry has for the most part), Danger’s approach to serving up webpages using their method isn’t a good one. Not compared to what’s out there.
I’m glad it’s good enough for you though, you will probably love the new LX. I’m waiting for Exchange to appear in the Catalog.
Haha.. I thought you were making fun of the people on poweredbydanger.com with that “not debatable” statement.
I gotta give it to Danger, they came out with a solid device for the 13-19 year old market. Seems like every kid has one of those these days. Even i had the original one and the Sk 3, left to the blackberry and never looked back.
while I somewhat agree with what’s being said, I still hate the fact that the sidekicks are always compared to the other smartphones… its not a smartphone. its a messaging phone, which it does very well. I personally would probably never own one myself as I reguire a smartphone, but cmon people, it’ll always look bad next to an iphone or blackberry.
I think that they’re moving in the right direction and its only a matter of time before they shed the tween image.
There is a ton of stuff that I find really desirable about the whole sidekick line.
I always thought they should diverge into two lines (which is kinda what they’re doing with the LX and normal line) make one for the tweens, and one for professionals.
That’s my problem right there. I haven’t had many browsers to compare this against expect my iPod Touch (which, I don’t think counts), and my friends Curve (which is messed up so I can’t compare that either). But like you said, for someone who is use to a sidekick, they’ll feel right at home with the new one. But for Microsoft/Danger to bring in new people, especially the older crowd, things needed to be changed that I guess weren’t. Specifically since there are more options out there to choose from and the sidekick still has the “teen” phone attached (Bdizzah above).
I probably will like the new sidekick but im not going to run out and grab it. Mostly being that Im not paying almost 500 for it since my contract isn’t up and I need to see if its worth getting, especially with the weak catalog. And I hope the rumor about Exchange Support costing money is wrong.
A much better catalog would probably be a step in the right direction for danger. The catalog now is downright garbage. There aren’t that many good apps (if any) and they are way overpriced. Ringtones are $2.49 each and apps like theme editor goes for $6.99. It’s ridiculous. The app store for both the G1 and the iPhone kill the sidekicks download catalog.
I think this phone has a market all on its own…just as the i phone does and blackberry and palm…people who love the functions of this phone will enjoy it. And as far as the apps? I feel like lately there isn’t really anything new in way of apps in fact they are becoming redundant…no longer stand out as different just a better build or offers a few more tricks….not for me but can appreciate it….BGR Gps too right?
after the SK3 it was all downhill from there….
wow…i diddnt know sidekicks were still alive, i thought t-mobile would have slowly weened off of the sidekick in favor of the G1….
If the G1 could hold a charge for me all day, I’d still have one. Other than the simply passable keyboard, it’s everything I liked about the LX and then some.
Does it have a touchscreen?
Which are the bands that it works on? Besides that weird t-mobile USA 1700 MHz
The keyboard and AIM is the only reason I still use a sidekick … I haven’t used a phone yet that can compare. I wish the Blackberry keys weren’t so cramped … And touch screen QWERTY sucks ass.
One line for Professionals??? What???
Business Suit and Tie professionals or
street corner pharmaceutical professionals???
Oh wait, does Snopp Dogg count??? LOL
I have NEVER seen any white collar professionals rock a SideKick in an Executive Business meeting..
Well, I’m a “professional” in the business world. I work for the Department of Defense and am a Program Manager. I’m also 27.
I had a Sidekick LX (the old one) for almost a year before I broke the thing and I would rock that bad boy all through meetings. I texted away.
Realistically the odd mood lights were pretty funny to the rest of the office, but it was a good messenger device. The only thing it didn’t do well was make calls (the speaker sucked big time).
I needed a simple phone that would text, save me some cash (trying to buy a house) and play music. The Sidekick did that. Not so much now with the raise in ra tes but I still pay 20.
I currently have an iPhone and hate texting on it. I really hate touching the stupid screen. I miss the trackball of my Sidekick. It is more work in correcting words than I could have ever imagined.
I do have an 8800 BB as my work phone and the reason I don’t want another Blackberry for home is the seperation of work and play. BBs are work to me. The Sidekick definately isn’t.
This new Sidekick could be good. I’m defiantely going to check it out.
How many more unboxings must we endure of this piece of crap?????
Seen many “professionals” at a meeting 2 months ago with sidekicks, so sidekicks aren’t just made for 13 year olds. Buy what you want…
Wow this looks interesting. Best screen ever? Wow
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
is anyone else tired of hearing these whiners talk about how the Sidekick is tween only device? I for one am.
Its a very solid messaging device and with each version there are some improvements. Yes, the device isnt perfect but no phone is.