The Sidekick marketing initiative put T-Mobile in the top spot in the US cellphone market. Now it has launched the T-Mobile Sidekick II, an improvement on the original Sidekick.

T-Mobile Sidekick II retails at T-Mobile stores and can be used with the Sidekick data plan from T-Mobile. Apart from the run-of-the-mill cellphone functions, T-Mobile Sidekick II allows you to use sounds and pictures to communicate with your friend and family with its MMS or multimedia messaging service. The in-built camera puts more fun into messaging when using Sidekick Ii.

The Sidekick II’s AOL Instant Messenger application allows you to IM your friends anywhere. T-Mobile’s application download service can enable you to download Yahoo’s messenger service too. Another cool Sidekick II feature is the Auto Text word completion system which makes it easier to enter words and text on to your handset. It’s a very convenient feature to have if you are a power user of mobile email and text messaging. You can also have email from up to three of your personal accounts pulled in directly into your Sidekick II. With Sidekick II’s embedded browser, you can browse the Web easily. Also, you are just a fingertip away from the latest news headlines, weather updates, games, and ringtone downloads with T-Mobile’s t-zones service.

The Sidekick has many other useful features. It’s got a calendar with up to 1000 event entries, an alarm to remind you of the calendar events you’ve stored, and a to-do list. You can synchronize these tools with Microsoft Outlook through the Sidekick II’s USB data connection or wirelessly through Intellisync technology. The Intellisync Web-based application runs on any PC with a Web browser. With Intellysinc, you can view all photos on Sidekick II as in a photo gallery on your PC. All data is stored remotely.

With the T-Mobile Sidekick II you can send and receive virtual contact cards or vCards. With vCards, you can save and share contact information with friends. The Sidekick II also has a mini-LED flashlight. The Sidekick II also enables you to snap photos and share them with friends through messaging or email or the Intellysinc gallery. The camera also has a night mode for good shots in low light situations.

If you are a gaming fan, the game Rock and Rocket is available with the T-Mobile Sidekick II. You can also download more games through the t-zones service. The handset, running on GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 frequencies, is powered by a lithium ion battery which provides 4.5 hours of digital talk time, and 60 hours of digital standby. It has an internal memory of 48 MB.

Loaded as it is with so many cool features, the T-Mobile Sidekick II seems pretty awesome — much like a Swiss Army knife. But it seems even that isn’t the end of the road. It’s widely rumored that the US cellphone market will soon have to admit a new entrant, the T-Mobile Sidekick III, before Christmas!

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The T-Mobile Sidekick II has been launched after ironing out some of the problems that plagued the earlier version. Here’s some vital statistics. The Sidekick II is fully loaded and weighs 6.49 ounces. It measures 5.12 x 2.60 x 0.87 inches and comes with a lithium-ion battery that provides up to 4.5 hours of digital talk time and 60 hours of digital standby time. Sidekick Ii runs on the GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 frequencies and has a one year limited warranty. Enough of what the T-Mobile Sidekick II’s great features. Let us see why it provides real bang for the buck and has reviewers drooling over it.

The Sidekick II has got some huge improvements over the T-Mobile Sidekick I. The Sidekick II is a tri-band world phone. Flip it open and you’ll be greeted by the big color screen. You can send unlimited emails and the new keyboard is really easy to use. The T-Mobile Sidekick I suffered from a lack of buttons for easy access to basic functions. Not anymore. Dual purpose buttons make it easier to place calls and browse the Net using Sidekick II.

You don’t need to search the Settings menu to change the volume or adjust any other details. You’ve got external buttons for that and also to turn the handset on or off. T-Mobile Sidekick II also has an external directional pad that’s a great help if you are one of those avid gamers. The keyboard can be used for all text messaging, emailing, and calendar updates. The 240 x 160 pixels screen on the T-Mobile Sidekick II can support 65,000 colors.

The Sidekick II is around 25 per cent thinner that the Sidekick I. It also gives you a comfortable feel when you are using it as a phone. The integrated camera, LED flash unit and self-portrait mirror are on the back of the handset. The T-Mobile Sidekick II comes loaded with the Hiptop OS and the handset has a 48 MB internal memory.

Did you run out of memory storing those phone numbers? The phone book of the Sidekick II can accommodate 2000 contacts and multiple entries per contact. You also get the usual menu of recently missed, received, and dialed calls. You’ve got polyphonic ring tones with 16 chords. If you need more you can download some great ring tones from T-Mobile’s t-zones service. You can also assign a picture and ring tone to each caller. Well, the t-zones service can be used to download some great games too.

Okay, here’s one more reason you would love to own a Sidekick. T-Mobile has priced it fairly and you can get a Sidekick data plan ($29.99 per month) to use Sidekick II’s e-mail, messaging, and browser functions.

Well, that is not the end of the good news though. Another Sidekick avatar is around the corner. T-Mobile Sidekick III will be launching Christmas!