Sidekick 3 Review

Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Lindsay Lohan, Tony Hawk--they're all fans of the T-Mobile Sidekick II. Although it's not particularly sexy, the mobile device's powerful messaging features have earned it wide popularity with the younger crowd, and now, the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3 adds a number of notable improvements and additions that should keep it on the "gotta have it" list of celebrities and urban hipsters alike. First, there's a slimmer and sleeker design, and you finally get integrated Bluetooth for hands-free calling, as well as EDGE support for faster Web browsing. It has a better camera and a built-in MP3 player, and while they're certainly not good enough to replace the real things, the added multimedia functionality is nice. Of course, the Sidekick 3 is still a messaging machine, and whether you're sending e-mails or text or instant messages, the Sidekick does it all well; it's not a bad phone either. That said, we really wish it had a higher-resolution screen.

Although the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is a smart phone, it's not quite suited for the busy corporate user, and the Sidekick's manufacturer doesn't hide that fact. It's designed for users who want to keep on top of their social lifestyle rather than their workload, and for teens and twenty-somethings, the Sidekick is a solid and fun device. The Sidekick 3 will be available exclusively online to T-Mobile customers first, starting June 28, then in retail stores nationwide on July 10; for those of you who live in New York or Los Angeles, you can get the Sidekick 3 at select T-Mobile stores on June 28. Price points are set at $299.99 with a two-year contract, $349.99 with a one-year contract, and $399.99 with a pay-as-you-go plan. T-Mobile also said it has no plans at this time to offer a trade-in program or discounts for Sidekick II owners.