Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Sidekick Giveaway Entry #3: T-Mobile Sidekick and SkinIt

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This week Tech Savvy Daddy is reviewing devices by T-Mobile. During each of the following days you can enter to win a gift package containing a Sidekick and SkinIt customized cell phone skin. One lucky reader will be notified on Christmas Day.

Here’s the rundown of reviews:

Sunday- Motorola Motozine
Monday- T-Mobile G1 with Google Phone
TODAY- T-Mobile Sidekick
Wednesday, December 24- T-Mobile Cameo digital picture frame
Thursday, December 25- Winner of Sidekick and SkinIt announced!
 Here’s what Tech Savvy Daddy had to say about the T-Mobile Sidekick:

Looking for a new phone? Considering a SmartPhone? Take a look at the T-Mobile Sidekick.

The Sidekick a slick little phone with a camera with still and video capabilities, email, web browsing, calendar, contacts, instant messaging, all the stuff you’d want. While it has a smaller screen than the Google Phone or an iPhone, the Sidekick has all of the features you would use in a well-designed phone with an elegant user interface.

You use your thumb to rotate the screen, which spins around and reveals a good sized full keyboard. When the screen is open, you can easily hold the device from the side with both hands. The nubby keys on the keyboard are nicely spaced apart allowing you to type quickly.

Navigating around the user interface is done with the white trackball. It’s on the right hand side. The left hand side also has a navigation button disguised as the earpiece. It can also be used for scrolling around the screen. Good for the hard-core left-handed people. There are multi-colored lights under the trackball that turn it into a glowing orb when the phone rings. Hey, why not?
Link
The user interface is pretty nice for messaging and web surfing, but the phone dialing isn’t that great. You can dial directly from your address book, but if you need to enter a phone number, you use the top row of the keyboard to dial the digits. I’m a big fan of voice activated dialing (example: “Call Tech Savvy Mama”), but the Sidekick doesn’t support it as far as I can tell.

Tech Savvy Mama loves the hard sided Sidekick SkinIt shell she made to look like her website header above. She reports that it was super simple to upload her graphic to create a personal look for her phone. Or select images from a huge graphics library, exclusive shells from up and coming artists, and team colors for pro and collegiate teams. Leticia loves her Tech Savvy Mama shell but is a huge fan of Jessica Goncha’s Doodlebug and Juniper+Carnation designs. For more info on Sidekick shells, click here.

Overall, the Sidekick has a good list of features and comes in a nice-form factor. Unlike some Smart Phones, you don’t feel like you’re talking into a PopTart. It’s currently $99 with a contract from T-Mobile. For information about contracts, click here.

Enter to win a T-Mobile Sidekick and SkinIt package by:

1. Leaving a comment about a feature of the Sidekick that you like.
2. Write a post linking to my site and giveaway then leave an additional comment with your permalink.
3. Twitter about the contest (I’m @techsavvymama on Twitter) and leave another comment.
4. Add me to your blogroll and leave an additional comment letting me know!
5. Subscribe to my feed through e-mail or a reader and leave a comment for an extra entry!

Thanks to T-Mobile for providing the Sidekick and to SkinIt for our giveaway!

Fine print: To be eligible, enter by completing the above tasks and leaving your comments by Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at Midnight. Commenting, posting, and Twittering about eacy day’s post will earn you up to three entries per day. Blogroll and feed subscriptions will earn you an additional entry each only once throughout the duration of this giveaway. Winner will be chosen at random by random.org and will need to reply with their mailing address 48 hours to claim their prize. T-Mobile Sidekick will only be shipped within the United States.

Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!

Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. traymona says

    I like tat the keys on the keyboard are spaced far enough apart that you can type easily without hitting the wrong keys or too many keys at once.
    traymona[at]aol.com

  3. 3boyzmom says

    I really like how the Sidekick is supposed to be easy to manuever with your hands. As you say, great for left handed people, like my oldest son. I also like that is has a hard outer shell, I tend to drop things so this is a feature I can appreciate!!

  8. makeetis says

    I would love to win this. My phone now is just a regular old phone. No camera phone or nothing. This would be a great upgrade I think. I like that You use your thumb to rotate the screen, which spins around and reveals a good sized full keyboard. Thanks for the chance. brewerchickey78(at)yahoo.com

  11. Anonymous says

    The full keyboard is awesome! I’ve always wanted one like that!

    email: keithadanielle[at]yahoo[dot]com

    Keitha

  12. WinDoh says

    The sidekick is one of my favorite type of phones. I like the way when it slides it looks like a mini computer and gives you enough room on the sides to actually enter on the keyboard without having to stand on your head!

    I would LOVE to win one!
    Danielle

  16. Lindley says

    I really like the bigger size on the keyboard buttons. We are happy T-mobile customers now and have looked at the Sidekick because my husband has big fingers and sometimes his text messages look like a foreign language! This looks like a great time-saver!
    Thanks!
    linjenals at yahoo dot com

  21. Connie says

    I really like the ease at which you can type. I really avoid text messaging because of the cost but mainly because I think it is a pain to try and navigate the letters on my ancient phone. Thanks!!!

  22. Patti Lalley says

    The SIDEKICK’s feature that i like the most is the user interface for messaging – which i am doing more and more of this year!

  23. Brooke says

    I love that you can send Picture messaging! This phone is really wonderful full of so many features! Thank you so much for the great chance!

    ;-)Brooke

  25. Anonymous says

    MFJ:
    The keyboard is the feature that i love the most. I have the worst time trying to txt msg using the phone pad.

    watson(at)zerostreet(dot)net

  30. Ferguson Family says

    Most people hate the fact about having big phones but I love them! I had a treo and miss it so badly because it was nice and heavy duty and the keyboard was amazing! I love large keyboards with the ability to type like a computer. Sidekicks are so awesome! I’d love to win!

  31. Leah says

    I love the idea of picture messaging as a MAMA who always snaps a trillion pics of my adorably adventurous ds! And, our relatives who live almost a thousand miles away would so love this feature also! : )))

    Thanks so much for this fabulous give~away! : )))

    leahita[at]gmail[dot]com

  34. gia says

    that keyboard is very cool & functional…especially for those that are pathetic at text messaging! those skins are so stylish, funky & chic too.

  40. Lilith Silvermane says

    I love the web-browsing ability. I really need this to keep up with my blogging, and the fact that I can update with photos/video that I take while I am out and about is wonderful. I love to go to concerts or just walk around downtown Denver, and this would be a fun way to include my readership in it!

    LilithSilvermane(at)gmail(dot)com

  42. holly says

    I like that it has a keyboard, makes it a lot easier to text or write emails
    hollyollyberry[at]yahoo.com

  43. dh says

    I like the keyboard. That would be so much better then punching the keys forever to type a short message like I have to do now.