Review: Sidekick iD

As promised here is the review for the Sidekick iD or SKiD as I call it.  It won’t be as formal as the review for the SK3 (that was for another site as I said).  I think informal is the way to go with the reviews, but again, that may change.  Anyway on with the review (wow, do I need a new segway).

I picked up the Sidekick iD on Friday to replace the dead Shadow and much to my surprise it is actually not as “dumbed down” as I thought it would be.  All the research I did said it was essentially a Sidekick 3 without a camera, bluetooth, MP3 player, memory card and Edge speed. 

While all of that is true, the rest of the Sidekick interface is intact and besides bluetooth, the rest of the features are not missed at all (surprisingly).  The camera on the SK3 is pretty bad so that isn’t a huge loss and the fact that I alreapy have an iPod, means I don’t need another MP3 player.  The only thing I miss is the customizable themes which could be done through the memory card.  Not a big loss.  Losing Edge speed hasn’t really made a difference either.  It was slow before and guess what?  Nothing has changed.

With the negativity out of the way let’s get to the good stuff.  For one, the SKiD is a little thicker than the 3 but a lot lighter.  The rubber bumpers (which are interchangable) help add to the grip and make is easier to hold when combining with the lighter weight.  The battery door is plastic, but with the bumpers it doesn’t matter.  Also no camera means I’m not hitting the lense anymore.  Nice.

I will say that when I first picked it up the phone felt really cheap.  After using it that is definately not the case, but it does feel that way.  The d-pad is loose, but the trackball is tighter.  The bumpers cover the other buttons and do a good job to add a better feel to the phone and the tactile feedback. 

The screen is a tad smaller and a little bit more washed out than the 3 but it does the job.  Text and pictures are easy to see and read in any lighting condiiton.  The “kick” feels tighter with the screen being held closer to the body of the phone when closed.  It feels solid on that front.

The keyboard is outstanding.  Using the same one as the SK3, this is the highlight of the phone and the reason I picked this up.  Best.  Keyboard.  Ever.  Nuff said.

The interface is essentially identical to the SK3 meaning it is easy and simple to use.  T-Mob keeps your settings and address book backed up on their servers (well technically Danger does, but semantics really) so all my stuff was restored instantly.  Very cool and convenient. 

Like I said, everything is the same inside so it is all good.  The hidden Snowbored is still a blast. PumpJack, the new free game is cool.  The address book and e-mail/text/IM clients are all still great and easy to use.  Definately something that Microsoft and Palm (Microsoft did just buy Danger so…) needs to adopt.  Very easy, simple, and just works.  No hacking or maipulating required. 

Sound quality seems a little better.  Calls came through clearer and people said I sounded better and this was without bluetooth since the phone doesn’t offer it.  Speakerphone is good and loud, though still a tad distorted at the highest levels. 

The battery also seems to last longer.  With all the extra “crap” gone the kick seems to last a lot longer.  I went 2 days and still had some charge before I fed the SKiD.  Impressive especially from a device not known for battery.

Overall it is a great phone that texts, makes calls, gets e-mail, does IM, and surfs the web.  Period.  That is all it does.  If that is all you need, get a SKiD.  Definately does all of those and does them well.  It may be a little too basic for some (no bluetooth is almost a crime), but the price was right.  They cost $150 with no contract and if you can still get a contract on them they are on $50 bucks.  Defiantely worth it and with those caveats it is a must for anyone looking for a business phone but don’t want a Blackberry, or any of those “old people” phones. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED