T-Mobile Sidekick II smart phone

This messaging phone isn't quite the ideal No 2.

Paris Hilton's former favourite mobile has hit the UK, offering automatic wireless back-up of your contacts, email access and a qwerty keypad.

Messaging is the one area in which it shines. You're given a 6MB email account as part of the package, which is simple to get up and running, and you can also go through a fiddly set-up process to collect email from three of your existing POP3 accounts. There's also AOL Instant Messenger, which again is simple to set up.

The fact that all your contacts and emails are automatically uploaded via GPRS to T-Mobile's server means you won't lose your data, even if you lose the phone. Unfortunately, you can't connect it to a PC - there's no cable, Bluetooth or infrared - so transferring Outlook contacts is only possible via T-Mobile's Desktop Interface website, and each one has to be done individually before it's zapped onto the handset by GPRS.

The device is bigger than an average PDA, but it's distinctive - the screen flips through 180 degrees to reveal a qwerty keyboard. This and the menu system are easy to get to grips with, and you can navigate via four buttons in the corners as well as a scroll wheel and a D-pad.

Sadly, the screen is disappointing - it's large and has 65,000 colours, but looks washed out and isn't sharp. What's more, while the VGA snapper includes a flash and decent night-time modes, it's too lo-res and can't shoot video. Also, there's only room to store up to 36 pics (though they're quickly uploaded to the server).

You don't get a music player or more than one pre-loaded game either, and the battery life (about three days) is only okay.

So, despite some cool features, this feels a lot like a work in progress. It might be worth waiting for the Sidekick III.