To really appeal to its UK youth target audience, T-Mobile is promoting the device for its web surfing prowess, so users can check out social networking sites on the move. The purple theme continues behind the keypad, while the back panel has a rubberized feel, making it a more grown-up looking device than its predecessors its now appears more PDA than teenager toy. Motorola has given the Sidekick more high street-cred by decking out the new device in a slick black casing, trimmed with purple edging. Some additional ALT characters are hard to spot with the colours used on the keys (blue on black), but for its size the pips aren't bad. The keypad is comfortably usable, even though keys are small. And it does the usual text and MMS messaging too. It does instant messaging too, with Yahoo! instant messaging pre-configured. It does push email, with users able to register automatically for a special Sidekick account and use their own online email accounts. The keypad is at the heart of the Sidekick's raison d'etre as a multi-tasking messenger. This contains a row of numeric keys that can be used for tapping out phone numbers, plus a phone pad shaped collection of numbers doubled up on character keys. This slides up revealing the 47-button keypad. Here, Motorola has trumped its Sidekick 3 predecessor with a more detailed 2.4-inch 320x240 pixels QVGA screen. Chief among these is a large display under which is hidden a Qwerty keypad. Finally, the microSD slot can be accessed by removing the back cover and also reveals the battery and SIM card slot.Despite Motorola's fingerprints on the chassis, some of the design traits seen on previous Sidekicks are echoed here. The 3.2-megapixel auto-focusing camera with LED flash is located on the back side. Jumping to the top side, the shoulder buttons are used to quickly launch the camera and picture messaging applications. It's also worth noting that the phone uses a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for music listening and a miniUSB port for charging/PC connection. On the bottom edge you'll find the narrow buttons used for the volume rocker and power button which are flush with the surface. Small things like this goes to show the attention to detail going into the Sidekick LX 2009. Just like the LED strip, the trackball will provide some eye candy by lighting up depending on certain actions. Additionally, it houses the only speaker used for phone calls and music. It's not to say that the tactile d-pad isn't bad either, but it makes for a monotonous way of navigating through the menus. Navigating can be accomplished with either the directional pad or trackball with the latter one being the preferred method. Luckily, they are tactile and large enough to operate. Most of the buttons on the face of the phone have a plasticy and cheap feel to them. Keeping to tradition, the layout on the device remains intact with the send, end, menu, jump, done and cancel buttons found in their usual spots. We're confident that it is durable, but still would hate to see what would happen if it were dropped. There is no denying the hefty weight of the phone (5.82 oz) will make for some extra baggage when placed in the pocket. When comparing to previous generations, this version is a bit more stretched out – making it longer and wider with a slimmer profile (0.64”). It radiates an almost business like appeal rather than a campy entry level device. The chrome accents on the top and bottom edge adds some balance to the design. Although the body is made out of plastic, it has that gunmetal finish that makes it look and feel well constructed. It's undoubtedly a Sidekick device with a swiveling screen and QWERTY keyboard. From afar, it's definitely quite noticeable with the traditional look. The new Sidekick LX 2009 does not stray far from the design of previous incarnations. Will all the new goodies still give users the same Sidekick experience previous devices offered? Other updates include a slightly slimmer design and a gorgeous high resolution LCD screen. Enter the second model of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX, which is the first 3G enabled Sidekick device. With the advent of T-Mobile's 3G network, it would only be logical to see a Sidekick device jump into the next level. Looking past the design aspect, it made navigating a breeze with almost anyone picking it up right away. It provided users a good messaging device with their distinguishable swivel screen design and QWERTY keyboard. The Sidekick line has always been synonymous with the hip, young, and cultured crowd.
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