T-Mobile Sidekick II

Boasting a slimmer screen and a built-in camera, the second version of the T-Mobile Sidekick is more of a refinement than a revamp of its predecessor. This bulky but eye-pleasing smart phone is an e-mailer's and messenger's dream, and users of the older model will welcome the Sidekick II's thinner form factor and the addition of a speakerphone. But the new device is still without some higher-end features, and it won't access corporate e-mail. Mobile professionals will be better off with a more business-minded smart phone, such as the Nokia 6600. At $299, the Sidekick is fairly priced, but you'll also need to purchase T-Mobile's Sidekick data plan ($29.99 per month) to use the e-mail, messaging, and Internet browser functions.

Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more. There was nothing small about the previous color-screen Sidekick, and the new model is much the same. Measuring 5.1 by 2.6 by 0.9 inches and weighing 6.5 ounces, the new Sidekick actually is a bit longer and heavier than older versions, though it's slightly slimmer. Owners of the previous version, however, will notice a welcome change: The screen, which rotates 180 degrees to reveal the keyboard underneath, no longer bulges out from the rest of the phone. Though it's still boxy overall, this smart phone now feels much more natural when held against your cheek during a conversation. Though it didn't make much of a difference, the microphone and the speaker are now reversed; you hold the left end of the phone to your ear and talk into the right end, not vice versa. We had one complaint, though; to dial a number that's not in the phone book, you must first open the screen.