T-Mobile Sidekick LX

Even in the world of mobile devices, sometimes bigger is better. The Sidekick LX is like a messaging limousine, with a big, luxurious keyboard and huge, bright screen that makes e-mails and IMs fun to write and easy to read. But if you're not looking for something large, this Sidekick is behind the curve (and the Curve).

The LX is the new top model in T-Mobile's lineup of Sidekick messaging phones. Sidekicks aren't quite smartphones, but they have the same e-mail, IM, calendar, and Web-browsing power you'd get from a basic smartphone. In the past, they've been coveted for their fun and easy-to-use interface, too.

This Sidekick is a tall drink of water, that's for sure. It's the biggest device I've handled in a while, the same width and length as the previous model 3 at 5.1 by 2.4 inches but 0.2 inches slimmer at 0.7 inches thick. It is also considerably lighter than the 3 at 5.7 ounces. It has the traditional Sidekick design, with a flip-up display, but this display is far, far better than those of previous iterations. It's bright and glossy, with 400-by-240 resolution and rich colors; its only flaw is that it is somewhat reflective in sunlight.

The traditional Sidekick interface has gotten a shot of color and better graphics, but not many more features. You still navigate a rotating wheel of icons with a trackball that pulses with multicolored light when you get a new message, a cursor pad on the left and four action buttons that perform various functions.

The best feature on the device is the keyboard. The well-spaced, raised buttons make it easier to type on the LX than on almost any other handheld device I've tested. The keyboard ties into the always excellent IM client, backed up with both SMS and MMS support. There's full access to Yahoo!, AIM, and MSN buddy lists, and you can even see your buddy icons. You can flip through conversations quickly, and it's very easy to type speedily on the large, widely spaced keys.

The Sidekick also pushes POP3/IMAP e-mail to you, and it's extremely simple to set up. The device supports its own T-Mobile mail account plus three more. Image attachments appear inline in messages, while other attachments are usually boiled down to text. But unlike every other smartphone platform out there the Sidekick still lacks support for Microsoft Exchange e-mail, Yahoo! Mail, or a native Gmail client.

As a phone, the LX is mediocre. It didn't do very well in our weak-signal test. Maximum call volume wasn't very loud; when it was pumped up by a very loud source on the other end, I heard distortion problems. The speakerphone is fine. The LX supports Bluetooth headsets, but only in mono mode—no stereo music headsets.

The device has very little onboard memory. It doesn't seem to be measured in megabytes, but I managed to max it out with three days' worth of e-mail messages. You'll want to drop a microSD card into the slot under the back cover. My 4GB Kingston card worked fine. The LX's 1.3-megapixel camera takes decent pictures, though I saw compression artifacts on them and outdoor pictures tend to overexpose bright areas.

The built-in MP3 player sounds good over standard headphones plugged into the 3.5mm jack on the side, and the device handles MP3, unprotected AAC, and unprotected WMA files of any bit rate—including non-DRM'd files bought from iTunes Plus or Amazon. You drag and drop music onto your memory card by plugging the Sidekick into your PC with a USB cable. The device doesn't support any video, either recording or playback.

You can download a limited set of games, applications, and ringtones, but nowhere near the hundreds of apps available for other smartphone operating systems. The one included title, a Mario-style game called Bob's Journey To The Center Of The Earth, played very smoothly.

The LX browses the Web, but not very well. Speed-wise, it's stuck with T-Mobile's EDGE network, without the boost of Wi-Fi that other EDGE devices like Apple's iPhone and the Blackberry Curve have. I achieved varied speeds between 50 kilobits per second and 150 Kbps at speed test sites, a wide range that's typical of EDGE. I experienced a very high latency, often having to wait several seconds before Web pages would start to load. The browser is basic, without support for frames or Flash (most notably, Facebook looks lousy); then again, it's no worse than the BlackBerry browser.

To make up for the browser's struggles, the LX includes a dedicated MySpace app. The tabbed client does give you quick access to MySpace profiles, blogs, and mail, but I can't help but think T-Mobile is behind the curve here—aren't people moving over to Facebook?

The LX's main problem is that it's simply outmatched by T-Mobile's BlackBerry Curve. The Curve is better in every way. It's a better phone. The e-mail client is more flexible. The camera is better. The media player is far better, with video and stereo Bluetooth support. The Curve makes free phone calls over Wi-Fi hot spots. It's also easy to use, and stable. It fits much more easily in your pocket. And it costs $50 less.

The cultural appeal of the Sidekick has something to do with the flashing disco lights, loud swooshing alert sounds, and even its large, obvious size. I just find it bulky and a bit obnoxious. And the smarter crowd among the Sidekick's youth market seems to be starting to agree. Paris Hilton still has a Sidekick. Hilary Duff, on the other hand, has a BlackBerry. Who would you rather be with?

That said, there is one big reason to get the Sidekick: It's big. The big, comfortable keyboard and large screen are easy on the fingers and the eyes, a refreshing change in a world where devices are getting more and more tiny and cramped. If you're looking for a messaging device and the superior Curve just seems a little too small, the LX will be for you.

Benchmark Test Results
Continuous talk time: 10 hours 49 minutes

Compare the T-Mobile Sidekick LX with several other mobile phones side by side.

Video
Watch the T-Mobile Sidekick LX Video Review!

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