Danger hiptop / Sidekick (color)
Average Ratings
Nice device, lousey t-mobile coverage
I had a Danger Sidekick II shortly after they were released in the SF Bay Area. The big appeal was how it could be a PDA & phone without the $450 price tag similar functioning devices cost. I returned it within the 14 day trial period because I was unable to get reliable signal in *most* of the areas I use a phone.
PROs:
+ Great user interface
+ Data can be entered either on the device or on the T-Mobile web page and both stay in sync *instantly*
+ Great text messaging or IM support
+ Decent camera
+ Pretty good battery life
+ Very usable QWERTY keyboard (with back lighting)
+ Color screen worked well in low light conditions or outdoors
+ It stored *lots* of data!
CONs:
- Very poor T-Mobile service (signal is poor) in the SF Bay area made this phone almost unusable.
- Have to download applications from T-Mobile only (no PC connectivity)
- Have to sync data with T-Mobile service (no PC connectivity ... yet.)
- Registration process (activating phone) with T-Mobile is *way* too long (could not receive phone calls or sync data with T-Mobile servers for 3 days) and I was porting over an existing number from my previous carrier. Could not get in touch with anyone for *way* too long!
- Poor signal strength in and around buildings
- Poor signal strength outdoors
- Getting support for the device is an exercise in patience. Have to navigate through many voice prompts before being placed in the proper support queue. Once you get the support people on line, they are typically very helpful.
- T-Mobile is not selling this product for a consistent price in all markets. Some get the device for free, previous Sidekick owners pay $260 to "upgrade", and unsuspecting new customers pay between $199 - $299 for it.
Kind of sleazy, to say the least. I would recommend the device (if you found a carrier who had decent signal strength) but would say "run, as fast as you can, run away!" from T-Mobile service in the San Francisco Bay area.
The True Ultimate Conversation Piece
This is by far the baddest phone on the market. The phone is not only fun but very practical as well. I am a salesman for AT&T and T-Mobile and even though my company does not sell this phone I would recommend it to any one. It keeps my extraordinarily busy life in order which helps my efficiency. And one last note to end on, I know it may need a few more basic features but, once you begin to master the features on it there is no limit to what this phone can do. Plus the swivel screen is the dopest way to open a phone I have ever seen
Don't be fooled!
Let me start by saying I've HAD this device for a total of one weekend and it is going back.
As a device, the color sidekick is great, although through T-Mobile in the Chicago market I have had limited success web browsing. As a phone it is a complete waste of time. While T-Mobile is building up it's towers, I have to deal with this phone ending almost every call I make. The volume is subpar with or without the headset and as someone who has ditched the landline it is obvious I made a mistake. Since T-Mobile has a 14 day grace period I would say check it out if it won't be used primarily for phone calls, otherwise stay far away.
Needs more basic features
I like the idea of the display sliding out to reveal the keyboard and I like the idea that for what it is capable of, it is relativly small. The problem is that it would be nice if it had bluetooth, infared, speaker phone, and a built in camera. It would be ideal if the camera could take video also. With their next model, if they can add these features, it will be the best phone on the market.
Danger hiptop / Sidekick (color)
The Phone & its functions are cool, & its fun to play with. Outside of that, Danger needs to stop using cheap parts for this phone. I had 6 phones replaced within 4 months!!! I have had problems with the headphone jack, loss of reception in an area that should be strong. I had the screen go blank. For the price you pay, you are not getting a product you paid for. I had to threaten T-Mobile with legal action to get a different phone all together.
"BUYER" BEWARE!!!!!!!!
This device has some pros, but there are many cons. As far as a mini PDA, it has a great keyboard, plenty of storage for phone numbers, and that's about it.
Using the device as a phone is awkward, and T Mobile's coverage is terrible. It's even worse if you are trying to use the INTERNET. I don't know where you can get a decent signal. I never use the phone more than a hundred minutes a month, because I can't find a decent signal. There isn't much of anything that I have been able to do with it, except pay for it.
Even though T Mobile's customer service is prompt and courteous, you can't believe anything they say. They will tell you anything, and when it comes right down to it, anything they have said is either incorrect and just a lie.
Just today, I visited the T Mobile Store looking for a new battery for my sidekick. In just a year mine had died. I was told by the manager of the store that he had just sold the last one yesterday and that I could call customer service and purchase one for about $40.00. They would even ship it overnight. That's what most of his customers do when they don't have them in stock and he has never heard of a problem.
The battery life of this phone is suppose to be 2.5 to 3 years. My phone is just one week over a year, it is now out of any kind of warranty and the battery is dead. Guess what?? There are no batteries for it. The battery is built into the phone. When the battery dies, so does the phone. Danger doesn't make a replacement battery. So I just basically threw $400 down the drain. Thank God my contract expired when my sidekick did.
crap
the ideal about the phone is what makes my review a .5 thats all, the rest is crap i had to send mine back god know maybe 5-6 times couse they kept sending me a refurbished peice of crap i hope this company goes bankrupt, i know mean of me to say but i got sick of constantly having to send it back becouse of loose face and the software ate shit so i lost all my phone numbers and last but not least the wheel used to scroll fell into the machine when i was trying to scroll down. So i gave up this time i told t-mobile to give me a phone with little to no additions ive been through many phones but this one takes the cake.
boo danger boo.
you suck.
yours truely
angry bastard
Sidekick - color
This phone combines a QWERTY keyboard, web access, and camera (still) that is unique.
Pros- the download speed is enhanced by compression provided the OS. Swivel display is extremely easy to use. The software and
ease of use is exceptional. UNLIMITED data and web access with a reasonable monthly fee by T-Mobile.
Cons- a bit bulky, no sync with PC, and lack of video. No Java script support.
If you are patient, the new model will add many features and be more streamlined.
Great device - if you don't mind being locked in.
I bought a B&W Sidekick nine days after they were released, and upgraded to a color one shortly after they came out. If you have a chance to buy the black and white model, don't. The screen brightness and contrast of the color screen makes it far more usable. I won't repeat what others have said other than to say that this is the most useful device I've ever carried around, and I've carried around lots of portable devices. The rate plans are fairly priced - try to beat $20 for unlimited data from any other carrier - and the customer service at T-Mobile has been outstanding. The There's one word of warning - before you start pouring your entire contact list and calendar into the phone, you should realize that there's no way to export them to another format. That means you can transfer your whole life onto the Sidekick, but if you want to switch to another service, you'll need a pen and paper to get your data out. Maybe lots of pens, if you came close to the 2000 name limit, with five numbers and five email addresses per name, plus postal addresses and other random notes. The inability to export data to other formats is the biggest drawback of the Sidekick service - once you're hooked, you're really hooked. Of course they do keep a backup of your data online, updated automatically as you change it, so you're protected even if you lose the phone. But you can only get to the data - on the phone or on the Web - as long as you continue to subscribe. If you're OK with this, the Sidekick will live up to its name. If you want to keep control of your own data, however, you should look for a phone that syncs with Outlook or some other service with local data storage.
