T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 Review: Faster Data Transfers, Same Great Messaging

One of the most awaited releases of 2009, the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 attempts to maintain the line's reputation as the messaging-centric feature phone to beat.  How well does it fare in today's landscape, where feature phones flood the market like never before?

Checkout these deals on Sidekick LX 2009

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Black T Mobile Smartphone US $55.00 --> Ends In 2h 44m <--

NEWonly ued for a month Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Black T Mobile Smartphone US $65.00 --> Ends In 4h 50m <--

Rapid Fast Travel Battery Home Wall AC Charger for Sidekick LX Slide 2008 2009 US $1.99 --> Ends In 5h 37m <--

Leather Case Cover Pouch Holster w Belt Clip Loop for TMobile Sidekick LX 2009 US $3.95 --> Ends In 5h 41m <--

Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Black T Mobile Smartphone Used US $40.00 --> Ends In 6h 34m <--

NEW RAPID FAST TRAVEL HOME WALL ACBATTERY CAR CHARGER FOR SIDEKICK LX 2008 2009 US $1.99 --> Ends In 15h 43m <--

Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Purple Unlocked Smartphone US $49.00 --> Ends In 17h 32m <--

Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Black Unlocked Smartphone Any GSM T MOBILE or ATT US $55.00 --> Ends In 1d 4h 36m <--

Sharp Sidekick LX 2009 Orchid T Mobile Cellular Phone US $34.00 --> Ends In 1d 20h 8m <--

Still manufactured by Sharp, the LX 2009 sports a redesigned QWERTY keyboard that surprisingly works even better than previous iterations.  It retains the same bulky frame (despite being a little thinner) that the Sidekick has been known for.  As such, it remains a superb for phone for typing messages but remains a clumsy one to put to your head when making a call.

Screen is a gorgeous 3.2 inches with a highly detailed 854 x 480 resolution.  Colors are rich and crisp, with display quality rivaling the most visually-stunning screen displays we've seen.  The rest of the physical interface are good, with the trackball occasionally demonstrating a lack of precision.

Geared for the younger crowd, the LX 2009 comes preloaded with MySpace, Facebook and Twitter clients, all implemented very well (with some features unavailable in other phones).  Email and SMS apps, however, were barely updated, which means they still sport some of the frustrating limitations from previous Sidekicks - hardly noticeable for those upgrading, but glaringly obvious to anyone who used a mid-to-high end phone model from last year.

The biggest news for this update is the inclusion of 3G support, which now allows Sidekick users to access the web over a high-speed connection.  Being accustomed to touchscreen browsing, however, it's difficult for me to grow into the trackball-controlled navigation.  Otherwise, the default browser works fine, though nothing noteworthy.

The last new addition to the device is a GPS (using Microsoft products).  While maps display in great detail, it lacks turn-by-turn directions as well as integration into the other applications (except geotagging).  For the most part, it's a bonus, not something all that useful.  The 3.2 megapixel camera module, like most feature handsets, isn't anything special.  It shoots decent photos and videos but won't replace even the cheapest digicams.  It comes with pretty good music playback, although the size of the phone can be a difficult one to manage (it's a burden to put in your pocket).

Overall, the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 is a good update to the line, especially with the inclusion of 3G and GPS.  At a $199 upgrade (and $250 for new customers), however, it sounds too expensive for what it can offer.  A T-Mobile G1 sells for much less, while offering pretty much everything this handset has and more.

Photo Credit: Zimbio