Sharp News

Sk8 or Die! : T-Mobile Launches Tony Hawk Sidekick

Just two days after I returned "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground" to GameStop because I couldn't do manuals with the Wii remote, T-Mobile showed me how lame I really am by throwing the new Sidekick LX Tony Hawk Edition in my face.  The TH Edition will add video recording, Bluetooth file transfer, and stereo Bluetooth functionality to the current LX's feature set.  Lucky for you LX owners, all of the new goodies will be coming to standard...

Ahh, Japan : Sharp WILLCOM 03 Smartphone Looks Smart

There's a chance that if this phone was offered up in the U.S. of A I might not think it looked so cool.  There's a chance that I'm simply suffering from, "I want what I cannot have" syndrome and not really so bowled over by the clean lines, bright colors, and nifty dual-mode touchscreen of the WILLCOM 03 smartphone.  There's a chance that if this thing had Verizon branding on it and I could get it for $249 after contract and rebate at...

Danger, Danger: New Sidekicks, Mobile MySpace Coming

A growing number of reports point to new handhelds coming from Sidekick-maker Danger in the next year.  Most likely more than two new models are on tap, both from SK 1/2/3 manufacturer Sharp and Motorola, which means QWERTY-loving consumers may have some interesting choices in the coming months. The Sidekick 4, Slide, LX, and LE have all been tossed around the Web as possible/probably forthcoming model names, with various renderings and...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Introduction & Design

IntroductionYou've seen it on TV and in the movies, and you've seen it in the hands of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.  T-Mobile's Sidekick 3 is the favorite gadget of many on-the-go hipster, and with good reason.  Built for E-Mail and instant messaging as much as for phone calls, the SK3 is a 21st Century communicator with fun design touches meant to appeal to the young - or young at heart - user.  Is the...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Features

All of the Sidekick 3's features are accessed from a central "Jump Menu" which features colorful Application icons and graphics arranged in an arc that you scroll through with the trackball or D-Pad.  Applications include Download Catalog (access to ringtones, games, and other applications that can be purchased from the device), Instant Messaging, Email, Phone, Text Messages, Address Book, Web Browser, Organizer, Camera, Music Player, and...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Display & Audio

The screen on the Sidekick 3 is a mixed bag.  While the 2.75" TFT screen offers plenty of real estate, decent brightness, and 65,000 colors, it's rather low-res at a resolution of 240 x 160 pixels.  As such, text and menus lack crispness, colors don't "pop," and many images look somewhere between lackluster and horrible.  Menus and other interface elements were designed with the limitations of the screen in mind, so after awhile I...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Camera

One of the big complaints heard from Sidekick II owners was that it had a lousy camera.  The Sidekick 3 packs an improved 1.3 Megapixel camera with a flash light.  The camera is a step up from the SK II's VGA camera, but it's still not all that impressive. The camera can capture still photos at three resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 (1.3 MP).  Video capture is not supported.  Camera settings are minimal, with adjustments...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Messaging, Internet & Connectivity

This device is all about messaging, and messaging is where it shines.  Between the QWERTY board, the trackball, and the Danger OS, IMing and Text Messaging is easy - if not downright addicting - on the Sidekick 3.  The integrated IM program features three separate clients for AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! Messenger, and keeping tabs on multiple conversations is easy with the trackball and menu shortcuts.  As mentioned before, the...

Sharp Sidekick 3 in-depth review - Conclusion

The Sidekick hiptop communicator has always been a unique device that's more than a cell phone, less than a laptop, and designed and marketed for IM-obsessed youth.  In its third iteration, the Sidekick has grown up some with a refined QWERTY keyboard and trackball that make navigating its user interface and multiple communications options a breeze.  Though the SK 3 falters some when it comes to it's low-resolution screen and lack of...