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A splashy new entry among comfortably sized, all-in-one wireless handhelds is making its debut: the T-Mobile Sidekick, bundling PDA functions with Internet access and phone service.

The combo device is geared toward the young and hip, but it also provides features suited to getting down to business. At its introduction Tuesday, the T-Mobile Sidekick is priced at $199 (after a $50 rebate available until January), with a $39.99 monthly plan that allows unlimited data transfer and 1000 short text messages, plus voice calls. The first year's service includes 200 anytime calls and 1000 weekend minutes. After a year the data allowance drops to 15MB per month and $3.50 for each additional megabyte.

Internet Everything

The Sidekick has an easy-to-read 2.25-by-1.5-inch display with 16 shades of gray. The display itself is embedded in the device's cover, which cleverly rotates open to reveal a small, usable QWERTY keyboard. Three command buttons on the Sidekick's face--Jump, Menu and Back--plus a jog are designed for easy navigation. The rechargeable battery lasted through two full days of testing; it's rated at 3.5 hours of phone use and 20 hours of data use.

T-Mobile's service package includes an e-mail address to which you can forward messages from up to three POP-3-based e-mail accounts. America Online's instant messenger service is bundled, and a proxy server reformats Web pages for better readability. Personal information such as your address book and calendar is cached on the always-connected Sidekick, but also stored on a server, so if anything happens to the unit, your data is safe.

You can even take and e-mail pictures using a digital camera accessory, sold separately. The camera supports 120-by-90 resolution images, and you can store up to 36 pictures. Images can be attached and sent with e-mail messages.

The Sidekick also serves as a T-Mobile GSM/GPRS cell phone. Tests found sound quality was far from perfect, speaking into the device was sometimes awkward.

Sibling Devices

The T-Mobile Sidekick is the first commercial implementation of the Hiptop wireless device from Danger, introduced at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show. Danger executives emphasized the security of data, since the device actually stores your information through the wireless service, and not strictly on the handheld.

T-Mobile also markets the first combination PDA and cell phone that runs Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system.