2006-Era T-Mobile Sidekick3 Interfaces with a Modern iPhone

In 2006 smartphones were still in their infancy, or maybe more accurately the purview of a select few who needed to email on their Blackberries at all times, along with early tech adopters. This would all change with the 2007 introduction of the iPhone, followed the next year by Android. Before these world-changing devices made their debut, however, there were some interesting gadgets weren’t quite smartphones in the sense we know them today, but still had some neat features for those that wanted the latest and greatest.

One such phone was known as the Hiptop or T-Mobile Sidekick, the first of which was released in 2002, a sequel in 2004, and the Sidekick3, released in 2006 (as well as a few other versions). The Sidekick3’s most unique feature was the pop-out screen that revealed a hidden physical keyboard underneath, but this third generation also included a user-accessible USB port, along with a phone and MP3 player capabilities. The question then, at least as far as ‘napabar’ goes — who was seen here controlling an iPhone X with an original Mac keyboard and mouse — is can it talk to an iPhone?

Not to spoil the video below too much, but the short answer is yes. The iPhone X — running iOS 13 beta — can both transfer MP3 files to the sidekick for playback, as well as trade photos taken on either device’s camera via a USB adapter. What’s perhaps more fascinating though is the question of which combination of photo/display devices will look better? Will pictures taken with the iPhone look better on the Sidekick3 than photos taken with the Sidekick3 on the iPhone’s excellent screen? I’ll let you take your guesses, then check out the later part of the video to find out: