How would you change T-Mobile's Sidekick LX 2009?
By Darren Murph 
posted June 21st 2009 7:36AM
posted June 21st 2009 7:36AM
posted June 21st 2009 7:36AM
powered by gdgt
Sharp Sidekick LX 2009
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...yeah there's more
-Vastly improve call quality
-Better battery life
-(I guess this goes with the user interface, 'app store' ,operating system)...better music and video playback/options.
-How about T-Mobile get's with the times and integrates streaming video, music, gps, wi-fi multiplayer gaming. Some sort of xbox integration, Microsoft owns Danger/Sidekick, Microsoft owns Xbox, Microsoft owns Zune, cross integration anyone?
-Improved camera, either keep the 3.2 megapixel camera and just overhaul it, possible xenon flash, something useable...or upgrade to a 5 megapixel with xenon flash, and video recording maybe 60 fps, or hopefully hi-def
Yeah that's about it, i hate to use this line, but..."we can rebuild it, we have the technology". Seriously it's 2009 we have phones with 8 and soon 12 megapixel cameras, hi-def everything, app stores, streaming music, video, responsive touch screens, unique operating systems, 3g speeds of up to 7.2 mb,anywhere from 300 mhz up to 1 ghz processors, screens that are 480x360 that are able to display up to 16 million colors, with the right phone you can just about replace most computers these days. There is no perfect phone, and i don't expect one but with all the improving tech out there, why are companies making the same mistakes...oh well we can dream.
Sorry for repeating myself and any spelling errors.
the lx 2009 does have streaming video with youtubeand it has a gps
How about not making it so ugly...?
Does it matter? This is the last Sidekick as we know it. Microsoft terminated the project a long time ago, they have the team (the few of them that didn't quit) working on their "pink" phone.
touchscreen, android, a psp style joystick on either side of the screen and Nvidia Tegra power
Overall a great phone. As always if the battery life could be better that would be great. However, my main beef is the apps. The app store blows or should I say the Non-app store. And the phone can run Java Apps but Danger will not let you download java apps off the net and install them. So basically I'm SOL for installing any apps. The phone is has the processing power but is crippled by it's overlord.
change those ugly buttons.
I'd lower the price. Seriously, look at the market competition and the capabilities of the device and realize the price has to be UNDER $199.
you can get it for 149 at best buy.
"I would make it into an iPhone"
Oh come on Engadget, you KNOW that's what you wanted to hear.
I bought this phone the day it came out and am quite happy I did.
The phone was never targeted at a preteen audience, ever. The hiptop was one of the first mainstreem QWERTY phones with an integrated push E-Mail client, it was targeted at people who wanted a full desktop communicator at a somewhat low price. The Hiptop is also targeted at the deaf community, since it is still (accept for some reason it isnt available on the LX09) a phone that natively supports I77 relay service.
There are only a few things and they are relatively minor.
: WiFi
: improved browser functionality
: Facebook or Skype as new IM clients.
: Improved push notifications through Facebook and Twitter, make them identical to the myspace app
The reason why I bought a sidekickLX 09 instead of an iPhone is that i needed a phone that had powerful communication capabilities without being so data centric. Im a heavy AIM user and a heavy texter, and the reason why the sidekick is perfect for me is that it has the best, and largest, keyboard of any phone on the market, and thats true of any sidekick model since the SK3. The danger buttons really do allow for instant jumping around the interface which I have yet to see on any phone. While im talking to 4 people at once and consistantly typing, either on AIM or SMS, Jump Cancel at the same time allows me to see the unread message and start replying while the other message is being sent. If I need to instantly go somewhere else, i just press Jump and whatever letter i need. Its a great multitasking communication phone.
wifi... brand new OS...something to do with the xbox360... touchscreen... and better keyboard
Sidekicks used to be pretty cool and unique. But now the iPhone and Pre have stolen the coolness. And all the other cheap qwerty sliders (Quickfire) have stolen the uniqueness.
I'm middle-aged and have used the Sidekick since the B&W -- since then I've had the Color, II, III, and LX '08. I think it's a brilliant phone hobbled by the policies Danger and T-Mo force on it. I didn't upgrade to the 3G because the browser isn't any faster -- because Danger has to transfer every single page through its proxy. You can't even change the type size on a Web page without reloading the page through Danger's servers.
In my case, I'd actually love to leave the platform behind and move on to a new phone. But I insist on a great keyboard, and specifically a five-row keyboard. The only other five-row keyboard I know of is the G1, but I don't live la vida Google. I think the Pre looks great, but... four rows.
(Incidentally, I've had almost no problems with T-Mobile and generally get great coverage in Chicago. Customer service has been great the few times I've had to use it -- not in years -- and the $19.99 unlimited data plan is great. I'm on a few busy listservs and often get a high rate of traffic, and I've never had to care about overages. If T-Mo can do better than the G1, I'd love to stay with them.)
Seems to be a big choice with kids working in malls.
I'd keep it there.
touchscreen and use OLED.
unlock it for any network so its more ACCESSABL. considering the sidekick is the weapon of choice for the cochlear impaired it would only be fair to not tie them down to t-mobile. They dont make handicapped parking spaces exclusive to wal-mart why should t-mobile get that right.
I like that it has 3g and the browser is much more powerful and quicker than previous sidekick model's web browsers. I wish the email client had more memory however, after like 30 messages it gets like half full so you have to delete messages. I also wished the mp3 player was louder when playing on the loudspeaker, I use it often if its loud enough but I used it in my bathroom and it wasn't very loud. I also noticed some slowness when scrolling in the main screen but was able to help that issue by taking the battery out of the phone while its turned on a few times a week which is good troubleshooting to do on any data phone anyways. I really love the windows live search as well, I get driving directions superfast and also can find gas stations and restaruants.
"T-Mobile's Sidekick LX 2009 represented a huge leap forward in the hiptop sector."
Oh, it's HUGE alright.
Android. I switched from a Sidekick Slide to a G1. The Android OS is way better and having an open development environment and open platform is a huge plus for me. More apps, more games, more fun. The Hiptop OS feels dated by this point.
dont make it
id like if the phone wasnt sooooo damn slow! have they upgraded the processor since the original sidekick? LoL
i think they should get rid of all the side buttons and just make it the whole touchscreen but still swivels 2 reveal the qwerty keyboard. also put 8 or 16gb of internal memory plus a SD slot. then i think it would b a pretty good phone :)
higher resolution screen will definitely be needed.
I would stop producing it. Major change but necessary! It sucks!
needs a touchscreen, better camera, different colors, better battery, on other services (like at&t), better app store.
Android
4.1" 800x480 screen (make the device big enough for that)
5 row keyboard
move the dpad to where the trackball is, dump the trackball completely
make the buttons more "android" like.
oh, and, add wifi and a touchscreen, and enable it for tethering (make a nice android app for that: USB tethering, BT DUN, BT PAN, and wifi sharing/tethering).
and make it usable with a pre-paid plan that has $1/day for unlimited N&W, $1/day for unlimited messaging, and $1/day for unlimited data (so, a little more expensive than the current sidekick prepaid plan, but still comparable)
How about not making it so ugly...?http://www.teratips.com
put android on it :)
Well it couldn't be any worse :)
Sidekicks lx 09 it's that worst phone I ever had tmo sucks 2
I think Dangersoft did a pretty good job with the LX '09. I think that if Sidekicks didn't have such bad rep for being a phone of teens, and if blogs wouldn't talk about the iPhone all day, it would sell much better.
I would add wi-fi, as T-Mo 3G kinda sucks for now, and certainly improve the browser. Danger should also concentrate on having better developer support and incentives, although I understand why they are so picky with the application approval process. I understand that its much better to have a few great applications than a million shitty fart apps. And may I remind all that the Sidekick had the catalog way before any other OS maker thought of these damn app stores.
No other device still cant do many things the Sidekick can. Including the great OS, flawless data and settings backup OTA on Danger's servers (You pay 30 dollars a month for data, I pay 20 dollars a month for data, sms, mms, and 24/7 OTA backup on a Sidekick), the best IM applications out there, and great multitasking with push notifications.
The Sidekick does everything I need it to do. Including copy and paste since the beginning, with a nice physical keyboard, and no bullshit.
i still like the 08 over the 09 :-/
WiFi, Touchscreen, better battery life, wallpapers. the usual stuffff
My biggest complaint is customization. I would love to be able to use my own background or create my own theme. Overall I'm happy with the phone and T-Mobile's service. I love the Facebook app!
1st off all these a'hole kissing the g1 not that great the only thing cool is android and when its on other fone ull shut up about the g1. 2nd most people bashing the sidekick is just riding the bandwagon and nuts of others just to clear that up.
To improve the sidekick I would put real marketing behind it they've been sitting on wat they established on the sk1 and its played out. Instead I think they should revamp marketing schemes and put more effort in making it a "sidekick" again. They should include, wifi, 5mp camera, touchscreen only when closed or opened with certain apps, better games miscrosoft could make this a distant competitor to the psp, video call and conferencing, an app store that separates apps from 3rd parties and danger/tmobile approved apps, threaded txt messages, more room for txt messages emails, built in 8-16 gigs of memory for games music and vids, expandable micro sd slot, facebook chat as a I'm client, more integration between social apps and contact book, super gps way improved,multimedia powers increased and handled better, cleared vids from own media or youtube or streaming, and flash.
Some other things make exclusive accessories like sidekick stereo bluetooth headset, music docks, ability to tether, bring back johnny chase, he made the sidekick 1 special, have ur sidekick talk to u like in the webisodes (not really but it'd be cool) and better commercials to put it back on top like the sk1 even the sk2, these are the improvements I want an overhaul of everything and redone.
P.s. I did this on a g1
touchscreen and use OLED, sidekick HD? what video chat "video call and conferencing"? I am deaf a man dominicano year old 31. I am definitely interesting in adult/professional/porn new idea a create model sidekick: HD camera, movie download (Movie vibrating), OLED HD, Video Film Record, XBOX 360 (vibrating with xbox live) and more apps stores like G1, wallpaper, messaging, setting language (Spanish, japan, french, more), facebook IM (other), TV, HDD 160GB to up. 3G service and 4G service, rich 3D graphic, IM: aol, googleIM, yahoo, msn, spype video/IM, closed captioning, qwerty touchscreen!!! (two double touchscreen screen!!!), vibrating music/game, browser web flash, sexy super slim handheld, WiFi, more memory and more chip, more and email, micro sd slot, address book, music, private, pictures, ID caller, better powers larger life 24 hour, free text/pictures messaging, free e-mail, free aol/yahoo/msn/google/spype, but (video chat) video call and conferencing cost one plan $30.00 unlimited 4G service, catalog shop, google maps like G1, Microsoft office, camera size zoom in/out, night vision camera, faster speed, safely plastic, waterproof, import the computer, UBS, themes, that's all my idea I want it!!!.............. If Microsoft and Danger and t-mobile listening me! I am demand against on Microsoft/Zune and Danger/t-mobile. thank god! how I want change t-mobile's sidekick new a model.
+snappy interface
+wi-fi
+battery life
+smallness
No need for an app store, I would have a dedicated PMP for that. Samsung P3 perhaps?
I do not understand the people here. "Oh, the Sidekick? That's only good for pre-teens. For anyone else it can't compete, it doesn't have good games, streaming video, themes, and besides, it's ugly."
I'm an adult in my mid-thirties. I use my phone to GET SHIT DONE. What the hell do I care what it looks like, or if I can play games on it, or if I can customize the icons? That sounds like kiddie junk to me.
The Sidekick has by far the best text entry of ANY smartphone. I can enter data faster, and communicate with multiple coworkers more effectively, than would be possible on any other device. The OS's well-designed jump-key shortcuts allow for near-instant switching between applications which is a big productivity win. It's not sexy? Whatever.
Back to the original question, things I would improve about the LX 2009:
- Threaded SMS, and massively increased storage for SMS messages. With the amount of storage on today's phones, there's no reason why I should ever have to delete a 160-character message.
- Better battery life, or the option for a higher-capacity battery for those of us who don't mind carrying a thicker device.
- More open development process.
- Get it off of T-Mobile, since I hate their coverage. Yeah, I know I'm dreaming.
Things I do not care about: Touchscreen. I'd much rather use physical controls for almost all purposes. Pointing at something on a 3" 854x480 screen using a 0.5" finger is not my idea of a good time. I've used applications on the iPod Touch, and I'm unimpressed with the touch controls - the Sidekick's controls are much more effective.
Still, I'm sure I'll upgrade once the LX 2009 version of Sidesheet gets released. I've looked at alternatives, but the G1's keyboard isn't as good and Android still isn't as refined as the Sidekick OS, and the keyboards on vertically-oriented phones like the Pre or Blackberries are just unacceptably cramped. If Palm came out with a horizontally-oriented Pre I'd strongly consider it.
PROPS! Most of the people who say its for teens dont know how to use a sidekick properly. Shortucts are key. In a matter of 3 seconds I can answer a text, check an email, and respond "lol" to someone on yahoo messanger without even thinking about it. The LX is the best so far. And once you learn a sidekick properly. You will understand.
I owned the Sidekick 1 (B&W) & Sidekick 2 (limited color). These phones needed repairing/replacing because of their non-accessible battery. I likely will wait at least a year for my next phone, but in the meantime, a Zune HD will likely supplement my Nokia 6133. Here are some of the features I hope to find on my next phone:
1. Multitouch & Multitasking
2. Large AMOLED high resolution capacitive touch screen with accelerometer
3. FM/HDFM radio receiver - will take some load off mobile network bandwidth instead of users streaming music or NPR or PRI
4. MPH tv capable (acronym for Mobile/Pedestrian/Handheld - ATSC mobile DTV) - for American phones - I expect many LG & Samsung phones designed for T-Mobile will implement MPH DTV (if fully adopted by broadcast TV. Reference: http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9841395-67.html
5. E-Ink shifting keypad similar to Samsung Alias 2 (expanded so numeric keys occupy a 4th separate row when in landscape mode) or a keyboard as good as my Sidekicks' keyboards.
6. Standard 3.5 mm earphone jack on an included extension cable with an intermediary button that allows station change for FM & radio, next song for music player, phone answering capability when the phone rings with built in microphone & volume control. (See Nokia AD-46 Audio Adapter: http://www.nokiahowto.com/find-products/accessories/all-accessories/headsets/audio-adapters/nokia-audio-adapter-ad-46)
7. GPS application: includes voice guided turn-by-turn navigation with text to voice street names, lane change info, current traffic with automatic alternate routing around traffic jams (if fuel/time would be saved), weather, POIs (gas station POIs should list current gas prices & indicate whether the station has electric vehicle charging capability & the availability of diesel or CNG.)
8. 8 to 12 megapixel camera with HD video capture & upload capable to Youtube, CNN & local tv (hd video) & Picasa (photos), Xenon flash, geotagging
9. Web browsing with Facebook/Twitter/Youtube apps similar to 2009 Sidekick LX
10. WiFi & Bluetooth 3.0 - uses WiFi to enhance connection speed
11. 2 ea - MicroUSB 3.0 connections (so that phone can be recharged while using 2nd for HDMI, tethering or data link)
12. Quad-band GSM with EDGE, UMTS with HSDPA (full 3G)
13. 4G: LTE or WiMax
14. Free tethering - running a laptop internet connection through the phone's USB or Bluetooth - as a part of the standard data plan
15. Near field Communication (NFC) for making retail payments by swiping phone near a sensor - if NFC becomes a world standard
16. FM transmitter - for car radios without input from bluetooth or RCA jack
17. Music/video player with MPEG-4/H.264/divx/Red Ray 4K decoding
18. REMOVABLE Lithium-titanate battery (or Lithium-Ion if Lithium-titanate batteries aren't viable)
19. Micro SDXC memory card compatible (extends SDHC memory card to 2 TB)
20. Microsoft Exchange 2010 compatible
21. Easy for developers to create apps & a great apps store with audio & video downloads.
21. The phone should also work great as a phone (excellent sound quality & fast performance & intuitive interface) & have as good a speakerphone as my Sidekick 2.
---John Hite, retired, Oklahoma City
wifi and flash support for the browser
It has already been said, but this thing should NOT be a Sidekick, but rather labeled X-Kick (or something similar) and be a fully capable gaming platform to rival PSP & DS. It needs a Zune application, plus all the phone features including Exchange Sync... It is a Microsoft product after all!
Here's my take: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/life-with-the-sharpt-mobile-sidekick-lx/
Get rid of the flip screen i hate having to flip my open to do anything on it. And a faster CPU and ram would help alot.
HEY IF ANY 1 IS LOOKIN TO BUY A SIDE KICK LX 09 I HAVE ONE JUST HIT ME UP AT COLL3G3BOII@TMAIL.COM
LOL, sadly the "make it an iPhone/HTC Dream" comments are about spot on as to what is wrong - more G1 than iPhone maybe in that the core reason the iPhone isn't for me is that I travel enough to have multiple sims, I'm deaf, and I prefer to have a physical keyboard - and the core OS is WinCE, which, yeah... Wifi, battery, specs, OS, dev key...
I have owned nearly every sidekick. I have also switched away from the sidekick. I have now had the LX 2009 for over a month and I must say it is the best phone I have owned. Sure the iphone has a million indy apps. But the sidekick has what I need and does everything now. And its faster to quick draw and text in a flash. I love it. Looks and feels grown up. And I always get the eye from iphone users who have that look like "wtf.....the sidekick looks pretty freakin awesome now". But yeah. Wi-fi is the only thing missing but I could go without considering I have my laptop when I really need wi-fi. Im a musician on the go and this has features that I need to keep in touch with other musicians on the go. I say Microsoft always has a master plan. I trust them despite what people what to say about them. Expect the sidekick to be around for a long time to come. Also. It is noted for the clearest screen and unline the iphone, has a REAL QWERTY. luv it- peace