News

Sidekick 3: mobile email "simple enough for any bimbo to operate"

by Guy J Kewney | posted on 24 June 2006

It takes a brave writer to recommend a mobile phone with the words: "Think about it: This is the only e-mail handheld easy enough for Paris Hilton to use." And, famously, to lose (well, it got hacked).

Inexplicably, the Sidekick, or "Hiptop" which is such a cult phone in the US, is still unavailable in the UK. It is, without doubt, the most generally useful all-round pocket device so far launched, and if the release of the new Sidekick 3 isn't vastly different from the previous version, that's simply because it got most of it right before.

"The SK3—which will be available on June 28 to existing T-Mobile customers and on July 10 to other folks—looks like the Sidekick II on a diet. It's noticeably narrower, at 5.1 by 2.3 by 0.9 inches and 6.7 ounces. It's longer and heavier, but slimmer, than the T-Mobile MDA and Palm Treo 700p," said an enthusiastic Sascha Segan, writing in PC Magazine.

Main change: MP3 player at last, and a better camera. Full details are press released on the T-Mobile site, and it lists the full set of new features as:

Built-in support for all three major IM clients (AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger)
Full HTML browser with enhancements for faster downloading and optimized viewing
Automatic connection to the EDGE radio technology network for improved communication through faster downloading and improved coverage
Sleeker design that is 20 percent smaller for a more natural feeling in your hand and pocket
Trackball for one-handed navigation to easily access more functions
Built-in Bluetooth support for wireless headset use and vCard exchange
Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera with supplemental LED flash for close-range illumination and a convex mirror for self-portraits
MP3 player with support for a stereo headset
Mini-SD card slot for expandable memory available for storing photos, music and more
Speedier ARM9 processor
Replaceable battery pack with added capacity