What do all-star shortstop Derek Jeter, skateboarding lord Tony Hawk, and Tinseltown’s hard drinking, starlet-of-the-moment, Lindsey Lohan, have in common? Turns out they’re all big fans of the Danger Hiptop, also known as the T-Mobile Sidekick. Well, now the folks at T-Mobile are hoping to attract a new group of A-listers with their newest release, the Sidekick II. Designed by Danger and built by Japanese electronics giant Sharp, the newest Sidekick is a slick update of a device that won many a design award…even if it wasn’t the best functioning phone out there.
Let’s start with the updates. The Sidekick II, which will be available “in early fall” on the T-Mobile network according to Danger CEO Hank Nothaft, is about 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, while retaining most of the original design elements such as the swivel screen. Some of the most frequent complaints about the original – namely, that many of the controls, such as the volume control were behind the flip screen and only useable if the screen was swiveled out – have been fixed. Page up/down buttons have been added to facilitate web-browsing (though the scroll wheel will work too), and there are two additional, programmable buttons to allow easy access to applications such as email. The latest Sidekick also sports an integrated VGA camera, perfect for snapping shots of celebrities in compromising positions and such.
But, perhaps the biggest problem with the Sidekick remains, for the immediate future: The lack of a vibrant ecosystem of applications, such as the ones that have sprung up around Palm and PocketPC devices. While Danger does have a SDK available, and are compatible with Java, they are not yet compliant so the platform is still, for all intents and purposes, closed. Nothaft says the issue is being addressed and that the problem will be solved soon. Stay tuned. In terms of other updates, Danger says an EDGE-compliant device and built-in Bluetooth are additional options being considered for future devices. The company also plans to release a tri-band device that will work in the 850MHz band as well.
In short, the new Sidekick is a promising device, and one that’s bound to sell well. Sharp, in both Europe and Japan, has proven its ability to make quality devices, so that partnership should be a lucrative one for Danger. And if they can just break out of their walled-garden application environment, and let folks start pushing the limits and creating new apps for the Sidekick, the future looks even brighter.
Guest column by Matt Maier, wireless and gizmos writer for Business 2.0
Carrier: T-Mobile // Price: $299 // Tri-Band GSM/GPRS (1900/1800/900)
HI, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH SIDEKICK II, WHY? FONTS ARE TOO SMALL!!!! BLACKBERRY HAVE DIFFERENT SIZES OF FONTS! WHY AREN’T SIDEKICK II INCLUDED? SO MANY OF MY DEAF FREINDS DEPEND ON FONT SIZE TO MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT SIDEKICK OFFERED. EVEN THOUGH I OWNED COLOR SIDEKICK. I WASTED MY HIGH HOPE FOR FONTS SIZE ON SIDEKICK II…
SCOTT
although this cap-locked, hopefully non-fluent english speaking, aol user did bring up a small issue: no changing the font size, i have used one and the font size is fine for anyone who isn’t………deaf.
The biggest problem I have with my sidekick is the reception I can hardly get a signal anywhere it takes forever for the internet to load and after making a phone call my signal is completly gone I hope the the sidekick 2 will have way better reception
Umm… I currently own a sk 1. The reception always disconnects so I can’t talk to my friends rite away. And I can’t log into aol or msn. Yahoo is the only theing I can log on. Everything else is ok w/ me. I only have 1 question…. Where and how can I get sk II and at a low price???
I have/had numerous problems with my sideport where the camera attachment/earpiece goes [the camera is built in] so I hope the earpiece situation was updated I will be in line for skII p.s. Does any1 know the correct release date?
Hello, I like to know that the Sidekick II is better than the old ones because I get the feeling that the previous sidekick breaks down alot and disconnects alot, but the designer may change all that to a possible better, reliable technology, if I’m correct.. So I would like to know when will it come out and How much would it costs, also I would like it if you can offer me a lowest price at possible it can.. thanks, Matthew
hi,
i would like to know if there is going to be any rebates involved when to phone is available for purchase. and if so hjow much would it be. i am with the company sprint wireless, and would like to know if it worth the change to t-mobile for the sidekick II.
I have had 3 sidekick … 1 stolen, one my own doing I dropped it and the other is the swivel started to come loose from use. I hope that it will be a little more sturdy than the other ones and I hope that they have fixed the Java problem.
So heres my thing . . . is it true that T-Mobile will have an ugrade program for people to go from SK1 to SK2 at a lower price?!
Where can i get a SKII RIGHT NOW? if anyone knows.. HOLLA AT ME!
I have been 8 times broken my Sidekick
4 times light screen sitll fuck up when i turn flip display 1 times dropped 100 feet at hotel buling…. (T-mobile charged me $ 70 failed for warntty)
2 times Display not show up. 1 times wheel missed line like skip…… I hope Sidekick 2 more strong and more better also less break.
Sidekick 2 will come Mid-September…. T-mobile will offer SPECIAL PRICE for Sidekick 1 users to Sidekick 2 ( I think will be cost $75-$150)
I had the chance to use a SK2 today. It is alot like the old one. Seems of better quality. The camera sucks, but kinda exepcted that. Phone worked well with good reception and email loaded fast. Was told price will be @299.99, but current users will get big discount.
hey bobby w. …guess what??? deafness tends to spread really fast! i really hope you dont catch it! you know what you’ll have to do if it happens? grow a brain!
The hiiptop2 wiill be coming out Miid-September…. T-mobiile wiill offer SPECIIAL PRIICE for Siidekick 1 users to Siidekick 2 ( I thiink wiill be cost $75-$150) u can expect tha camera 2 sux wit no zoom at all :: if it doesnt come out mid september then theii changed tha date
holla at ya grl
suncom hiptop 2….when is da release date on dat…holla @ me…someone!
Does any1 know if you have to trade in your SK1 for the upgrade program??
I talked to T-Mobile about the sidekick upgrade and here’s the deal; If u trade it your old Sidekick you will get $100 of the new one which means you pay 199 instead of 299. And if they don’t receive your old Sidekick within 7 days of receiving the new one then they will charge you the other 100 dollars. If u own any of the other Sidekicks then you can order the new one now before it gets released to the general public.
i have a color sidekick and i’m on number 5. i was going to cancel my service because i’m out of my contract period but i was promised a sidekick II free because of all of the problems i have had. i have the person’s name and extension but today when i called to order it i was told that not only will they not honor what i was promised to keep me from canceling but i would have to pay 334.99 to get the sidekick II
I HATE T-MOBILE
please feel free to contact me if you have had multiple problems with the color sidekick because i filed a complaint with the FTC
By the way, I can hardly feel sorry for you… All last night I had to listen
to her tears, so great they were redirected to a stream. What? Of _course_
you didn’t know. You and your little group no longer have any permissions
around here. She changed her .lock files, too.
— Kevin M. Bealer, commenting on the private life of a Linux nerd
order paxil cheap paxilThe Gurus of Unix Meeting of Minds (GUMM) takes place Wednesday, April
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days will be devoted to discussion of the ramifications of whodo. Two
seconds have been allotted for a complete rundown of all the user-
friendly features of Unix. Seminars include “Everything You Know is
Wrong”, led by Tom Kempson, “Batman or Cat:man?” led by Richie Dennis
“cc C? Si! Si!” led by Kerwin Bernighan, and “Document Unix, Are You
Kidding?” led by Jan Yeats. No Reader Service No. is necessary because
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paxil paxil onlineBy the way, I can hardly feel sorry for you… All last night I had to listen
to her tears, so great they were redirected to a stream. What? Of _course_
you didn’t know. You and your little group no longer have any permissions
around here. She changed her .lock files, too.
— Kevin M. Bealer, commenting on the private life of a Linux nerd
how much sidekick II but im deaf. im has sidekick color old time but i wanna get new sidekick II