When you consider name of the company that makes it, one would expect the Danger Hiptop to be somewhat different than a typical smartphone, and that is certainly the case. Based on the company's home-grown Hiptop OS, the device is designed more as a lifestyle appliance for active young adults than as a productivity tool for the business set. The Hiptop is better known as the T-Mobile Sidekick, and is available from that carrier for about $300, though various rebates may lower the cost.

While many smartphones take a phone-centric approach to their design, the landscape-oriented Danger Hiptop more closely resembles a PDA or even a digital camera than a mobile phone. The rectangular 6.2 ounce device measures 2.6 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches, and interacting with the Hiptop is made easy through the use of three large primary buttons along with a thumbwheel that can glow multiple colors.

The Hiptop provides 32MB of RAM, but without an SD slot, there's no way to increase the device's storage capacity. The Hiptop uses a Li-Ion battery that is rated at 3.5 hours talk time and 60 hours on standby. The battery isn't user-accessible, however, and though the product's documentation says the battery will never need to be replaced, I'm unaware of any battery technology that doesn't eventually need to be replaced. A lack of a removable battery also precludes the use of a spare, forcing you back to A/C power or, worse, no power should the battery drain down at an inconvenient time.

The Hiptop's large color screen can display 65,536 colors, but provides rather low resolution (240x160) and is neither the brightest nor sharpest available on a mobile device. On the other hand, the display is cleverly designed to rotate upward with the flick of a thumb, revealing a QWERTY keyboard underneath that spans nearly the full length of the device, and is well suited to two-handed thumb typing. And although the screen turns 180 degrees when opened, the unit automatically flips the image so it remains oriented toward the user. A camera accessory is available to take pictures with the smartphone.

The Hiptop doesn't include a device cradle; only an AC adapter is provided to charge the device. In fact, the device eschews the customary model of syncing to PIM applications on a PC via a cradle. It instead provides access to its productivity applications (address book, to-do, calendar, and so on) from any computer by logging on to the carrier web site. Information entered there is synchronized with the Hiptop-and vice versa-over the mobile network.

This method certainly has its advantages--not the least of which is that it doesn't require you to pair the device to a single computer. You can also purchase and download content like games, ring tones, and so forth directly to the device without a PC intermediary.

Other useful applications on the Hiptop include AOL Instant Messenger and a proprietary Web browser, which due to the Hiptop's large screen and intuitive controls may provide one of the best browsing experiences on a device of this type. The unit can support three POP e-mail accounts in addition to the one included through the carrier.

As versatile and clever as the Hiptop is as a PDA and digital communication device, it's somewhat inconvenient to use as a conventional phone. Its short length make it feel a bit odd and uncomfortable to hold up to your face and talk into. Unfortunately, there is no speakerphone, a feature which would have worked well here. Users will probably want to stick with making calls through the hands-free earpiece, which is included with the device.

The Danger Hiptop is hip and functional, and will likely be attractive to those who won't be using the device primarily for business, and thus without a stake in the Palm/Windows debate. However, its unusual design forces the phone to take a back seat to the PDA role of the device, and the device's lack of a removable battery and inability to add storage capacity may prove limiting to some users.

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