Ready for some serious Sidekick 4G news? We thought so. First up, we’ve finally got the official pricing details from T-Mobile . That’s right, come this spring the revived Sidekick can be hitting the likely-to-be-acquired carrier for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and two-year contract with unlimited data — people who decide on the 2-year contract but choose a lower-end data plan must pay $149.99 for the Android 2.2 handset. Sure, the pricing doesn’t sound all that shabby, but how’s the particular phone? There has been no stopping us from getting our hands all around the first ever touchscreen-equipped Sidekick here at CTIA Wireless — hit the break for our impressions and a hands-on video.
We’re going initially that keyboard, since we all know that’s what you’re really after. Similar to its 1 Sidekick 3 1 and 2 iD 2 older brothers, the marginally-curved keys are almost perfectly spaced, and while they aren’t rubbery like those at the 3 Sidekick LX 3 , they do have a pleasing smooth coating. However, there’s going to be no covert texting in school with this one — those keys in addition to the plastic home, jump, back, and menu buttons make noticeable clicking noises. So, how’s the sliding mechanism? We admit we miss the 180-degree swivel, however the slider actually doesn’t feel half bad. The remainder of the primarily-plastic hardware feels decent for a mid-range phone, but has nothing on something higher-end just like the 4 G2 4 .
Software-wise, T-Mobile and Samsung have done some significant skinning to Android 2.2, and maybe, the main polarizing change comes with the relocation of the telephone, apps, and phone tabs to the suitable side of the screen when in landscape mode. The most important addition comes with the jump menu — you are able to launch the shortcut menu by holding down the jump button after which either use a keyboard shortcut or the touchscreen to make the “jump.” Other software tweaks include a restyled music app and an unique unlock screen — for the latter, you may swipe up and configure it to launch a particular app. We’re hoping to bring you an in-depth review of the following generation Sidekick soon, but our short while with it has us convinced that a variety of Sidekick-devotees would be dishing out that $99.99 when the 4G goes on sale this spring.
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