T-Mobile Sidekick III Actual User Review

I am sure that all of you have heard about the T-mobile phone brand entitled the Sidekick. As I am also sure that everyone has read a review once or twice about this interesting looking phone. However, the one problem that I had with all of the reviews, where that they were seemingly written by the manufacturer, or someone who worked for the manufacturer. They were never from real people that have real-life experiences with the phone. Well, several months ago I purchased the T-Mobile Sidekick III after many months of deliberating whether or not I should actually buy it. Since then, I am constantly on my phone, however, through all of the amazing features that the Sidekick III has, there are also several problems that I have had with the phone - all of which were never mentioned in prior reviews. Thus, read on to see an ACTUAL users experience with the T-Mobile Sidekick III.

The first feature that I absolutely have to talk about first is the flip-screen. This is the main feature of the phone that attracts people to it. This is due to the fact that there is NOTHING else like it in the phone world. It is what makes the Sidekick line unique to all its competitors. At first glance, it's incredibly "cool." However, the more that I have used it, the more incontinent it is - especially when you are wanting to dial a number, or when you are wanting to discreetly check a text message - like in class - there is no easy way to disguise your phone. Also, the screen quality is pretty normal. It is not spectacular, and it is not utterly horrible. However, I was hoping that the quality would be greatly increased from the Sidekick II, and honestly, I can't tell the difference. However, there is one feature that sets the screen section apart from its prior versions, and that is the ability to change the background to several pre-set backgrounds. However, there are only four different versions you can change it too. Still, I suppose this allows you slightly more personalized freedom, but not a lot. Also, another concern that I had about the flip-screen was how easily could it break? One would think that this little screen would be almost flimsy, however, I have found it quite durable. My phone has fallen onto the floor while the screen being opened, and it hasn't been harmed yet. *Knock on Wood*

One of my major concerns with this phone was that of battery life. This was mainly brought on with the fact that this phone is quite large, and it has many parts that light up and make noise, thus draining the battery. Plus, I knew that I would be using the web browser and text-messaging more than actually talking on the phone. And by doing this, I would drain the battery quicker than by actually talking. So, I had a very cautious eye for the first week of my use, and to my surprise, the battery life was amazing. I have yet to have my phone die on me, and I use my phone constantly throughout my entire day. However, I did purchase a car-charger, which I absolutely recommend. But, my phone usually only gets around fifteen minutes of car-charging time throughout the day. And still, the battery lasts an amazingly long time. Danger, Inc., absolutely did an amazing job with the battery.

Now that I have talked about the outer layer of the phone, and the battery, I must talk about the pre-downloaded applications that come standard on the Sidekick III. First the good; all of the Sidekick III's have three messenger services downloaded on them. And they are, AIM Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and the new one is the MSN Messenger service. I have found myself completely overwhelmed at times, because I have been signed in to all three messenger services, and when you have four people from all of them talking with you, it can becoming slightly confusing. However, Danger has done a great job to help organize your conversations. The organizational skills of the messenger conversations definitely deserves two-thumbs-up. However, there is a downside to the applications on the phone. There aren't any actual apps already downloaded - not even a calculator. You must go into the download catalogue, and find several free applications. The good thing is they are free, however, the bad thing is they also take up your memory space. I found it very off-putting that I was having to search for the simplest application, such as a calculator. It should have already been pre-downloaded into the phone.

Since I use the web browser, text messaging, and instant messaging services quite a bit, I am CONSTANTLY using the QWERTY keyboard. Now, this isn't a new feature because all of the prior Sidekick's had a QWERTY keyboard, however, the substance that the buttons are made of is completely new. The Sidekick II's keyboard was a soft-like surface, and many of my friends' phone's keyboard actually had some of the letters fall off because they weren't tough enough. I am so glad that they toughed up the keyboard letters. They are now this shiny plastic buttons, and they are absolutely perfect to type on. They don't seem to have the tendency to stick or such, thus extending the longevity of the phone.

Probably the biggest buzz I heard about the Sidekick III was the improved camera quality. Anyone who had a Sidekick II or knew someone who had one, can quickly tell you the quality of the camera, it was horrible. I was very happy to hear that Danger, Inc., had upgraded the camera to 1.3 mega pixels. Whenever I first purchased my phone, I instantly took a picture, and looked at the quality - and let me tell you I was very disappointed. All of the pictures are still grainy and definitely do not look like they are 1.3 mega pixels. The quality is still very poor. So, if camera quality is very important to you when you are looking for a new phone, than perhaps the Sidekick III isn't right for you.

I practically live in my car. And that means that my hands are always tied up doing something, thus, making speakerphone my best friend. All other phone I have ever had have always had a great speakerphone, and naturally, I was expecting the same from the Sidekick III. Actually, I was expecting the greatest speakerphone I've ever used due to the fact that this phone is so technologically advanced. However, I was greatly disappointed. Not that I couldn't clearly hear the individuals on the other end, because from my perspective of the phone conversation, I could hear them great! But, the other person could not hear me whatsoever. My voice when I talk through speakerphone become distorted and not clear at all. Thus, making important conversations, or any conversation, very difficult. That's why I usually never use my speakerphone, which is a shame.

The main reason that I was so attracted to the Sidekick III, was the quality of the web browser. When I was searching for a new cell phone, one my biggest decision factors was how well the web browser worked and if I could go to actual web sites. Well, with the Sidekick III browser, you can actually go to real websites without a problem. It is very interesting how it all works, and with the large screen, than you get a perfect view. When it comes to surfing the web on this phone, it is AMAZING. And the speed in which the pages load is really great. It is a lot faster than dial-up Internet, but not as quick as broadband, it's somewhere in the middle. Which, for a phone, is perfect. If you know that you will be using the Internet a lot on your phone, than really consider purchasing the Sidekick III, because you will be nothing but amazed at the quality of the browser.

Anyone who knows me understands that I am an avid text message user. Thus, having a phone that simplifies this process was an absolute must! And might I say, that the layout for the text messaging is absolutely PERFECT. Whenever you receive a new text, you can scroll over it, without clicking on it, and read the message. This really streamlines the whole process of receiving and reading texts. I have found this very helpful when I am holding a "conversation" with several individuals. Danger really simplified this process, and I am incredibly grateful for it. The only compliant that I have received from my friends, is that now I send them really long messages, oh well.

One of the coolest new features that that Sidekick III has is the "trackball." This is the little ball on the right side of the phone that lets users guide themselves throughout web pages as well as the throughout the phone. This is a major upgrade compared to what the Sidekick used to have, and that was just a rolling stick, and it wouldn't allow you to move sideways and such, thus making going through web pages quite difficult, well, more tedious than anything. However, just a couple of weeks ago, my trackball stopped moving down. Whenever I would roll it downwards, nothing would happen. Thank goodness, that on the other side of the phone, there is another scroll button. However, having to switch back and forth was very tiresome and aggravating. I was about to go see my T-Mobile Retailer, and have them replace my phone since I bought the insurance, however, just a few days ago, the trackball started working normally again. I'm not sure if that is a normal thing, but, seeing that this is a new phone with new technology, I was expecting something like that to happen, that's why I bought to insurance. Word to the wise, if you are ever able to buy an insurance plan DO IT!!! Especially when you're dealing with the Sidekick III. Hopefully my trackball will remain okay.

And the last feature that sets this phone apart is the MP3 Player. I was very excited when I found out that the Sidekick III had one of them. The capacity of the amount of songs you can have is pretty decent, however, the sound volume isn't that great. It's okay if you are in a room by yourself, but if you are wanting to show people a song, and if ANYONE is talking, than it can be pretty tough to hear the songs. Nonetheless, it is a great added feature to have on this really amazing phone.

Overall, I am very pleased with my Sidekick III. Besides the little things, that all phones have, this cell phone is definitely worth the price tag.