T-Mobile Sidekick 2 Review / Danger Hiptop 2 Review

The T-Mobile Sidekick 2, also known as the Danger Hiptop 2, is basically an exciting device. The device is mainly targeted at consumers in the 16-30 year old margin. It is not being marketed as a corporate style business device, but rather a phone, internet and camera converged device for every-day life outside of business.  Ironically though, the Sidekick 2, priced at $199 in the U.S., is more innovative, usable and clever in certain ways than the palmOne Treo 600 or HP iPaq 6315, converged devices targeted at grown-up business users willing to spend $600.

Specifications

• Form factor: Flip screen (Opens to expose QWERTY keyboard. Closes for compact storage)
• Size: 130 x 66 x 22 mm (5.1" x 2.6" x 0.9")  (Width x Height x Depth)
• Weight: 184g (6.2oz)
• Display: 240x160 pixels, over 65,000 colors (16-bit color), Transflective TFT screen viewable in bright sunlight
• 5-row QWERTY keyboard , dedicated number row , dedicated 12-key dialpad area , includes easy access key for @ symbol
• Backlit screen and keyboard with light sensor
• Integrated VGA (640 x 480 pixel) camera, supplemental LED for close-range illumination , night mode setting for darker environments, convex mirror for self-portraits
• Navigation and Controls
• Scroll Wheel with push capability
• Send/End buttons (with page up/down capability)
• Directional pad
• Control buttons: Menu, Jump, Done, Cancel, Volume up/down, Power , Application-specific shoulder buttons
• Front and back speakers
• Speakerphone
• 12-voice polyphonic sounds
• Vibration Motor
• GSM/GPRS radio Tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) Multislot Class 10 functionality
• Wireless off "airplane mode"
• Memory: 32 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash
• Battery, Rechargeable internal Lithium polymer battery
• Interfaces: Audio jack, Power jack, Lanyard attachment 

Danger makes no apologies for the fact this piece of hardware is not on the cutting edge with speed, it doesn't need to be.  It performs everything it needs to very fast and you simply don't need the latest 624MHz Intel XScale processor for the functionality provided.

Hiptop 2 or Sidekick 2, What's the Difference?

Many of you may not be familiar with who the company Danger is and how the Sidekick 2 is related to this company. Danger is a company based in California that a couple of years ago designed and released a device called the Hiptop, the predecessor to the Hiptop 2/Sidekick 2 being reviewed here.  T-Mobile bought the right to sell the Hiptop under their own branding and called it the Sidekick. 

Danger is a one trick pony in terms of products, it has designed only the Sidekick and now Sidekick 2.  They have designed these devices and then relied upon manufacturing partners to actually make the device based on specifications provided by Danger, and then they rely on wireless carriers to sell and market this device.  Sharp signed a deal with Danger to manufacture the Hiptop 2, so they've got a great manufacturing partner there.  In the U.S. T-Mobile and Suncom market and sell the Hiptop 2 to their customers.  T-Mobile sells it as the Sidekick 2 and Suncom sells it as the Hiptop 2.

There is no difference between the Sidekick 2 and Hiptop 2, same device with a different name and slightly different logo design on the case.

Design

The Sidekick 2 is indeed a uniquely designed device.  The flip up screen rotates clockwise after giving a little lift at the bottom.  In a word, this screen design is fantastic.  I still get a kick out of flipping the screen, the geek in me is tickled each time I do this, if you like attention it'll also get people looking at you and asking questions too.  By rotating around, the screen is able to take on a form factor of being somewhat external to the device as you type on the built-in keyboard while browsing the web or instant messaging friends.  Rotating the screen back so it's cradled in the device again means it serves as a very nice display for phone status or viewer for other functions you can perform without needing access to the keyboard, such as camera usage.  The way the screen actually springs around into place would make you think it might propel right off of its hinge eventually.  After a while you become convinced such a disaster will not befall the device and are happy it is so reactive when being flipped open.  A Danger representative I met assured me they tested the screen thoroughly to make sure it was rugged enough to be flipped open thousands of times without a hitch. 

Overall the device looks somewhat like a cross between a digital camera and a handheld gaming device.  Call me old by making this reference, but when I first started using the Sidekick 2 I had flashback to holding a Sega Game Gear device.  No Sonic the Hedgehog on this thing though.  Many people have commented to me that the Sidekick 2 looks just like a digital camera.  When viewed from the backside, it absolutely does.  But this device is most certainly not first and foremost a camera as the resolution is only VGA, but this feature does make a lot of sense for the target audience. 

Come to think of it, when first looking at the Sidekick 2 it doesn't look like a phone at all, there's no obvious speaker or microphone on the front-side.  Tricky design work lead to Danger putting the speaker in a control button on the left-hand side of the device and the microphone is a small hole on the right-hand side of the device, just above a scroll wheel control.

The casing on this device is pure plastic, the coloring is light-grey.  Although the plastic casing means this device isn't rugged, that's not too much of a concern.  The plastic case keeps the weight down and also keeps the price down.  The device does not feel flimsy in anyway either.  The plastic is thick and molded in such a way that it does not flex anywhere on the device.

On the top and bottom of the device are rubber strips that serve as grips.  These grips can also be removed and replaced with various color grips.  This is so you can add your own style.  Personally I'm not too worried about putting orange strips along the top and bottom of something I use as a phone device, but it's there in case you do care.

The HipTop 2 / Sidekick 2 is available in the U.S. currently and should be available in Europe very soon.  At the time of this review the Sidekick 2 is available for $199.99 from select retailers.