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The T-Mobile SDA offers a full variety of ways to stay in touch—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE data network, quad-band —and does so in a size not much bigger than a standard cell phone (4.5 x 1.8 x 0.7-inches; 3.7 ounces). Packing so much into such a small chassis does create some confusing controls, however.

Design
The SDA's silver-gray shape and stocky appearance suggest this is a phone that's all business (it's like a less attractive version of the similarly featured Cingular 2125). The front offers a 2.2-inch, 240 x 320-pixel LCD over a compact and confusing jumble of buttons.

The top row is especially slim and includes two soft keys, a Home button, and a Back button. Below these are four larger buttons for controlling media playback and calling up the T-Mobile hotspot screen. We're not sure why so much space is given to these, which will be used so much less than the top row.

    

SDA's third row holds the start and end call buttons, as well as the directional knob. This control knob is an absolute failure: it can't protrude much from the phone or it would catch on things, so it hardly sticks out at all. That means using it to move around the screen without accidentally pressing it (and therefore selecting something) is difficult even after much practice. Below these keys sits the standard number pad.

The left side holds a comm button that lets you access the phone's communication options (phone, WiFi, Bluetooth, and syncing), as well as volume controls. The right side holds only the button for the 1.3 megapixel camera. On the top you'll find the power button and the IR port.

The SDA comes with a matching pair of headphones that hold a volume dial and an end-call button, as well as a USB cord for synching with your computer. But it doesn't bundle with a protective case or belt clip, or even a printed user manual. That seems chintzy to us.

Software
The SDA runs Windows Mobile for Smartphones version 5, so the interface looks more like a PDA than a phone. The only snag is that you'll need to use the keypad for text input, which can really slow you down.

Its home screen does a good job of surfacing as much content as possible. Along the top you'll find icons for your most recently used five applications, while below that are quick controls for turning Wi-Fi off and on, checking e-mail, and reading text messages.

Call up the other included apps with the Start button in the lower left. The SDA comes with pocket versions of Internet Explorer, MSN, Outlook, and the Windows Media Player, as well as tools for instant messaging, contact and calendar functions, and task management.

Performance
We got good call quality in our testing (in the New York City area), but that doesn't mean you will; the T-Mobile network is the slightest of all the major carriers (and this phone only works with T-Mobile), so check the block-by-block coverage map on the T-Mobile site to see if the service performs well in your area.

Surfing over T-Mobile's EDGE network is no pleasure, so you'll want to connect to Wi-Fi whenever you can. The controls for connecting aren't as simple as they should be. While the SDA comes with a 1.3 megapixel phone, with 2x digital zoom, photo quality is unimpressive. Our test shots were dim and grainy.

The battery will get you 4.5 hours of talk time or 5 days of standby. The SDA currently sells on the T-Mobile site for $199, which includes the discount for a two-year service contract and an instant rebate. We'd prefer a fuller phone for staying connected, something with at least a thumb keyboard, but if size is a real issue for you, the SDA is a smart and compact way to go.