Sidekick 4G

“The T-Mobile Sidekick 4G isn't a Sidekick. The Sidekick was a device with a cool, simple OS and swiveling screen. That platform is dead. Instead, what we have here is a Sidekick-inspired Android phone with an awesome keyboard, a great-looking UI redesign, and the occasional sour note (that poorly placed Volume button, for one). This is the best messaging-focused smartphone on T-Mobile.”

“The growing Android empire has legions of slatephones big and small, and a growing stable of physical QWERTY devices led by the likes of HTC's G2 / Desire Z, Samsung's Epic 4G, and of course the Motorola Droid 2. All of those play at the higher end of the market, though, where folks can afford phones built from metal or filled with organic LEDs, while this perfectly passable Sidekick 4G rings up at just $100 on contract. It's solid, stable, feature-packed and incredibly stylish for the price, and we don't think it's an exaggeration to say it might single-handedly raise the bar for what a mid-range smartphone can be -- compare to the Samsung Transform we reviewed last year. Is it worthy of the Sidekick name? That's a little harder to say, but we've long thought the best features of Danger's Hiptop OS (like email, calendar and contacts storage in the cloud) were present in Android anyways. We think the best test is this -- head over to a T-Mobile store, and get your thumbs on that five-row QWERTY and fantastic sliding hinge.”

“The Sidekick is back in a big way. For just $99, this well-designed Android phone offers a wealth of messaging features, fast data speeds, and a superior keyboard, making it a great choice for smart phone hipsters on a budget. Android purists who crave a keyboard will likely prefer the T-Mobile G2 for its stock interface and larger display, but that device costs $100 more. If you're not set on T-Mobile, we like the $149 Evo Shift 4G for Sprint for its even faster 4G speeds and 720p video recording. While the interface isn't for everyone, the Sidekick 4G is one of the best smart phones you can get at this price.”

“Believed at one point to be utterly annihilated from existence, which blackened its reputation somewhat with the mini meltdown that occurred back in late 2009, the lovable Sidekick line is alive and beating once again. Still placing its emphasis on the messaging and social networking oriented aspects, the reincarnated T-Mobile Sidekick 4G brings back the popular line with its new manufacturer in Samsung and involvement with the Android platform – as opposed to the forgettable Danger OS which previously powered the Sidekick. Naturally, the handset has been given a modernized makeover that should appeal to a lot of people, even if you haven’t experienced one before. Moreover, its $99.99 on-contract cost from the onset is no doubt one attraction that makes it uber affordable for anyone, but can it contend with the likes of other highly prized QWERTY style Android handsets out there?”