Sidekick LX: T-Mobile Sidekick LX Ful Review

The T-Mobile Sidekick LX is the latest and greatest premium Sidekick phone and the first to have 3G and GPS. It has the typical brand shape, but the 3.2-inch display is really sharp. This is a social networking enthusiast’s dream phone, with built-in MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube applications, along with the usual stellar email and roomy QWERTY keyboard from Sidekick. This article covers a full review and specifications of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX phone.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX Overview

T-Mobile secretly debuted the Sidekick LX 2009 in May, and the company’s inexplicable need to recycle product names meant that the new Sidekick LX didn’t receive much attention when it first came out. A closer inspection of the new Sidekick LX, however, reveals significant upgrades, such as 3G for fast data transfer, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus lens and video recording capabilities, a 3.2-inch screen, and Live Search that is available through GPS. 

The new Sidekick LX is available in two different colors—orchid and carbon—and features a larger keyboard, a smaller and sleeker design, and a more durable build. The redesigned Sidekick operating system and user interface debuted with the Sidekick 2008, and a 128MB microSD card is included with the device. The Sidekick LX 2009 is a great option if you’re looking to upgrade from an earlier Sidekick.

Since this isn’t T-Mobile’s first rodeo with the Sidekick LX name, we refer to it as “the new Sidekick LX.” The original Sidekick LX debuted in 2007, and there has since been a special edition of the device aimed at skateboarding superstar Tony Hawk. T-Mobile’s new Sidekick LX, a quad-band GSM phone with dual-band T-Mobile 3G, is available only via the carrier.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX Phone: Specifications

Here are the full specifications of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX phone:

T-Mobile Sidekick Lx Phone: Design and Ergonomics

The Sidekick LX, being slimmer and less plasticky than its predecessors, is an upgrade in terms of aesthetics. The redesigned Sidekick LX, measuring 5.1 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, retains the Sidekick 2008’s control buttons, d-pad, and trackball but relocates them to the device’s edges. Why? This allows the phone to have a bigger screen and a roomier keypad with a separate number row. 

Amazingly lovely! The device’s side buttons haven’t changed, but they now rest on chrome strips for a sleeker appearance, and the metal has been incorporated into the button designs as well. The new Sidekick LX was designed with mobile music in mind; it features a 3.5mm stereo audio connection and comes with a stereo headset.

Also, you can hold the T-Mobile Sidekick LX phone with ease because of its rounded corners and textured back. The SIM card slot and the microSD card slot are hidden inside the battery cover. The battery has to be removed simply to get access to the SIM card slot. In addition, the microSD card slot is accessible without removing the battery, thanks to a spring mechanism.

T-Mobile Sidekick Lx Phone: Messaging and Web

The new Sidekick LX supports T-Mobile’s 3G networks on both the AWS Band IV and Band I, 1700 and 2100 MHz frequencies, making it a global GSM quad-band phone. In locations with strong coverage, the phone will display five bars of signal strength, while those with moderate coverage will display three or more. The speakerphone’s volume is impressive, and calls come through clearly. Also, the new Sidekick LX, like the Sidekick 2008, offers a capacious contact book with room for up to 2,000 entries. Each entry may hold ten different phone numbers, five different email addresses, three different physical addresses, a caller ID image, and much more. T-Mobile’s MyFaves is also compatible with the phone.

The new Sidekick LX is a messaging phone with a beautiful QWERTY keyboard and all the standard messaging apps, including AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo! Messenger, as well as POP3 mail and potential compatibility with Microsoft Exchange. Now that Microsoft owns Danger, the creator of the Sidekick OS, the device can save and sync personal data to Exchange, which is a huge deal for business users. If you’re looking for a mobile device that gives you access to social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter in addition to instant messaging and email, look no further than the new Sidekick LX.

The addition of 3G means faster Internet connectivity and the capability to view rich HTML sites complete with pictures in the device’s native web browser. The browser is far more efficient at rendering web pages than earlier non-3G Sidekick phones, and it preserves the majority of the original page layouts. Only dHTML javascript elements, like drop-down menus, cause issues, but overall, the web-browsing experience is much better.

T-Mobile Sidekick Lx Phone: Multimedia

With its robust media player and support for a wide variety of audio file types, including MP3, M4A, WMA, WAV, AAC, and RMF, the new Sidekick LX makes for a great music phone. You may listen to music on your T-mobile Sidekick LX if you have it in a non-copy-protected format such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, or MP3. The media player is capable of playing not just video but also audio from online sources. Also, the speakerphone provides decent audio playback, but using the wired stereo headphones that come with the Sidekick LX yields a more immersive experience. With the Samsung SBH-500 BT stereo headset, music sounds amazing across the phone’s A2DP Bluetooth connection.

Because of its vivid and colorful screen, watching videos on the Sidekick LX is a delightful experience. Videos in the very few codecs supported by the device’s built-in media player—3GP and MP4 basic profile videos—played relatively smoothly on a mobile device.

T-Mobile Sidekick Lx Phone: Camera

Compared to the Tony Hawk LX’s 1.3-megapixel camera and the Sidekick 2008’s 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera with no flash, the Sidekick LX 2009 boasts a considerable increase in the form of a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED light. The photos are just as good as those from the Nokia E75 and other devices with 3.2-megapixel cameras. The new Sidekick LX offers clear photos with oversharpened details and vivid hues. Also, the autofocus lens quickly finds focus and produces well-balanced photos. The wide, outdoor-readable 3.2-inch screen is perfect for viewing photos. You may adjust the picture quality, white balance, and effects using the camera’s software.

Furthermore, the camera phone can record sound for videos. A high-quality video may be recorded for storage, while a low-quality video can be recorded for instant messaging. The colors seem fine, and the movie is easy on the eyes. The camera phone can compete with Nokias while taking still photos, but it can’t match the quality of the Nokia E75’s VGA video recording.

T-Mobile Sidekick Lx Phone: Battery Life

Battery life decreases with increased 3G speed. While the new Sidekick LX’s 1250 mAh (4.7Wh) battery is an improvement over the Sidekick 2008’s 1030 mAh, its 3G talk time is just 3 hours and its standby time is 6 days. You may expect 5.5 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby time if you are not currently in a T-Mobile 3G service region. The battery drains quickly when used for things like browsing the web or watching videos rather than making phone calls. On the other hand, listening to music has no effect on battery life.

Is the Sidekick Browser Free?

The Sidekick technology offers a complimentary edition that encompasses essential features such as an ad tracker and blocker, tab sessions, an app sidebar, and a notification mute option. Additionally, there is an option to subscribe to a monthly premium subscription.

What Year Did Sidekick Lx Come Out?

The Sidekick LX (PV-250) was introduced on the market on October 17, 2007, exclusively for existing T-Mobile customers through online channels and a limited number of designated physical locations. The LX was made available to new T-Mobile users on October 24, 2007, exactly one week after its first availability. The Sidekick LX is offered in a selection of two distinct color options, namely Midnight Blue and Espresso Brown. 

In addition to the aforementioned color options, the LX variant boasts a more expansive and higher-resolution display, as well as blue LED mood lighting situated at all four corners, which synchronizes with the user’s preferences. Furthermore, the LX offers the ability to download music and backgrounds, a reduced weight, MMS messaging capabilities, and a Micro SD card slot that comes equipped with a 128 MB card (in contrast to the Sidekick 3’s 64 MB MiniSD card). Lastly, the LX features an updated operating system. On July 16, 2008, T-Mobile released the exclusive Tony Hawk Edition Sidekick LX with video recording capabilities.

Despite the development of production devices for testing purposes, the LX model was eventually not sold in Australia because of its incompatibility with Telstra’s 3G 850 MHz network. However, Telstra proceeded to sell the Slide model after the Hiptop3, which has already been phased out. The video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles showcased the inclusion of a Sidekick LX model in the color Midnight Blue.

During the latter part of 2010, Mobilicity started retailing the Sidekick LX 2009 under the brand name Mobiflip. In the early months of 2011, Cincinnati Bell, a regional carrier in the United States, unveiled the Sharp Jump, also known as the Sidekick LX 2009.

Who Is the Founder of Sidekick?

The individual serving as the creator and CEO of Sidekick is Dmitry Pushkarev, who holds a doctoral degree from Stanford University. Pushkarev possesses extensive expertise in the fields of biotechnology and cloud computing. 

The in question has a history of co-founding successful businesses, including Moleculo Inc., a business that specialized in genome-decoding technology that later sold to Illumina, and ClusterK, a software platform created to automate the use of unused computer resources that Amazon later bought. Before the debut of Sidekick, Dmitry had executive roles at Amazon.

How Much Is the Sidekick?

With a two-year, unlimited data plan and a $50 mail-in rebate, the new Sidekick will cost $99.99. In contrast, the same handheld with a cheaper data plan, say the 200MB plan, can be purchased for $149.99 with a two-year service commitment.

Our hands-on time with the refreshed T-Mobile Sidekick here at CTIA 2011 has left us quite impressed. Samsung’s brilliant combination of old and new will make you feel like you’re using a Sidekick while getting something fresh.

The weight of the smartphone is barely noticeable when held. On the other hand, it feels solid despite being less durable than more recent Sidekicks like the Sidekick LX 2009. The phone’s 3.5-inch WVGA display is bright and the touch screen makes menu navigation easier than with the trackball. The jump key lets you move between apps easily, and the phone’s four edge navigation keys are great.

Who Designed the Sidekick Phone?

Danger Research Inc. designed the Sidekick phone. It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that the Sidekick is comparable to the iPhone. Sidekick’s parent business, Danger Research Inc., was created in 2000 by ex-Apple employees Matt Hershenson, Joe Britt, and Andy Rubin. Soon after, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak joined the original three.

Was the Sidekick a Phone?

Yes, for those of you who weren’t there during the Sidekick’s prime, I’ll briefly describe its appeal: Generation X and millennials, who grew up on the precipice between the analog and digital worlds, found the Sidekick to be the perfect phone since it put fun above productivity (unlike the staid Palm Pilot and Blackberry). The horizontal screen of the Sidekick, which opened like a suicide door, rendered flip phones obsolete.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, The new T-Mobile Sidekick LX is the optimal upgrade from older Sidekick models. The modern 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, strong audio functionality, and better 3G speed will all delight long-time customers.

Also, the new T-Mobile Sidekick LX can compete with today’s high-end feature phones provided by T-Mobile and other carriers thanks to its built-in support for Bluetooth A2DP, microSD card expansion, and huge 3.2-inch touchscreen. The Sidekick LX’s exorbitant price, especially in the current economic climate, is its main drawback.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Reference

• engadget.com
• cnet.com
• mobiletechreview.com
• phonearena.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• vice.com