Designed to reel in aspiring hipsters with its summer-job-friendly price point, the $99 Sidekick iD is best defined by what it lacks when
compared with its pimped-out bigger brother. Unlike the $100-more-expensive Sidekick 3, the Sidekick iD doesn’t give you MP3 playback, a digital camera, Bluetooth, or an expansion card slot. What’s left is a fun but underpowered messaging device for IMing your buddies and surfing the Web, one that can be personalized with colored removable exterior panels.
The Sidekick iD’s back-to-school vibe continues with the return of the SK3’s rubber bumpers, which can be interpreted as insurance on Junior’s new phone. The device itself, without the bells and whistles, sports nearly identical measurements to that of the Sidekick 3, although the iD is 0.5 ounces lighter. The trackball remains, but it feels a little flimsy and unwieldy compared with the BlackBerry Pearl’s; thankfully, rumors that Danger would omit the directional pad proved false, so you can jump around the menus with that. (View Photo Gallery.)
The iD’s keyboard is essentially the same as the SK3. The plastic keys are a bit slippery but nicely spaced, and we were able to fire off texts and IMs quickly. The iD’s holdover 2.4-inch screen has the same resolution and sports the same number of colors as the SK3; it’s not very bright, but it gets the job done. As far as those external customization options go, the multicolored bumpers-available in black, yellow, blue, white, purple, or glow-in-the-dark for $19.99-provide a nice stylized touch. Replacing them is a bit of a nuisance, though. You have to remove two panels on the back along with the battery just to get at them.
Sidekick iD Review by LAPTOP Magazine