It's so hard to keep a good secret these days. Just ask T-Mobile. Word of its new Sidekick model, code-named Gekko, got out months ago and was all but confirmed about a week ago when the ruthless blogosphere got hold of some internal T-Mobile documents about the upcoming model.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)
Well, today, the wraps were officially taken off the new model. Simply called the T-Mobile Sidekick (more on this new, puzzling naming scheme below), it's the first Sidekick to debut since device manufacturer Danger was acquired by Microsoft.
The Sidekick isn't a revolutionary, new product, but we think there's enough there to attract the young, hip messaging fanatics. The big highlight is the new level of personalization, as you can add your own graphics, images, and designs to the outer shell for a one-of-a-kind model. You can read all about this as well as the handheld's other features and performance in our full review. The T-Mobile Sidekick is available in select stores and online today for $149.99 with a two-year contract and after discounts and rebates.
Finally, for those of you who are curious about why T-Mobile has reverted to simply calling the handheld Sidekick, here's the official statement from the carrier: "The T-Mobile Sidekick family is going to have two lines of devices, the T-Mobile Sidekick and the T-Mobile Sidekick LX. Both Sidekick lines will have their own unique set of features so that consumers can choose the one that best fits their lifestyle. The T-Mobile Sidekick will focus on personalization at an affordable price while the T-Mobile Sidekick LX will be a little higher-end and have more of a 'luxury' emphasis; it will also likely include future limited edition models."
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T-Mobile Sidekick Slide
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)It's lights out for the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide--well, temporarily anyway. T-Mobile and Motorola pulled the new Sidekick from the carrier's lineup last Friday after confirming that some devices are powering off after opening and closing the phone. Motorola says it's currently working to identify the cause of the problem, but geez, that's no way to make a first impression. If you'll remember, the Slide is the first Sidekick not to be made by Sharp. We should note that the Sharp devices, including the T-Mobile Sidekick LX and Sidekick iD, do not suffer from this power glitch. Affected customers have several options; you can either:
1. Keep your existing Sidekick Slide until T-Mobile and Motorola have more information about the issue
2. Exchange it for a T-Mobile Sidekick LX at no additional charge
3. Return the device and apply the value of the original purchase price to a different handset or device.
Now, we had our review Sidekick Slide for a couple of weeks and never ran into the power outage problem, but are there any Slide owners out there who did? I'm curious to hear what happened, so sound off below.
Update: Today, T-Mobile released this statement: "Motorola has determined that the intermittent power cycling on some T-Mobile Sidekick Slide devices was caused by a minor issue relating to the battery contacts. Motorola also has identified and tested a solution, which it will implement for existing devices, and incorporate into newly manufactured ones. T-Mobile expects to begin offering the Sidekick Slide again beginning next week. If a customer has a Sidekick Slide that is experiencing the intermittent power cycle issue, they may contact T-Mobile Customer Care or go to a T-Mobile retail store for assistance and to discuss available options."
OK, kids--hope you've been nice this year, because here's something you might want to add to your holiday wish lists. Today, T-Mobile announced not one, but two new Sidekicks to be added to its lineup: the T-Mobile Sidekick LX and the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide.
T-Mobile Sidekick LX
(Credit: T-Mobile)Let's start with the latter since it brings something new to the mobile messaging device: a slide-up screen (all together now: oooohhh, ahhhh). Unlike previous models, which have been manufactured by Sharp/Danger, the Sidekick Slide is made by Motorola and features a smaller design. It measures 4.6 inches wide by 2.6 inches high by 0.6 inch deep and weighs 5.3 ounces, while the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 comes in at 5.1 inches wide by 2.3 inches high by 0.8 inch deep and 6.7 ounces and the Sidekick iD is 5.1 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.8 inch and 6.2 ounces. And hallelujah--it has a higher resolution screen at 320x240 pixels and 65,000 colors. The Slide still has all the messaging options that made the Sidekick popular in the first place, including a personal T-mail account, support for POP3 and IMAP e-mail, integrated AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo instant messaging clients, and text and multimedia messaging. The quad-band phone also supports the new MySpace Mobile application (a separate download), which you can peep on the phone's Web browser that is said to have better JavaScript support. Other goodies include Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera with no (!!) video-recording capabilities, and a music player that requires the use of a microSD memory card but supports MP3 and AAC files. The Sidekick Slide will be in stores starting November 7 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.
T-Mobile Sidekick Slide
(Credit: T-Mobile)The T-Mobile Sidekick LX goes the more traditional route in terms of design with its swivel screen. The LX is made by Sharp, and fortunately the company also decided to improve the device's mug with a larger 3-inch, 65,000-color TFT display and 400x240 pixel resolution. It's trimmed down a bit in weight at 5.7 ounces but otherwise retains the same dimensions as the Sidekick 3 mentioned above. You'll have your choice of two colors--midnight blue or espresso brown--and you can program it to light up like a Christmas tree to alert you to text messages, e-mail, and so forth. The Sidekick LX has all the same messaging features of the Slide and also works with MySpace Mobile. Final highlights of the quad-band phone include integrated Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera (again, no video recording), an MP3 and AAC music player, rated talk-time battery life of 6.8 hours, and a microSD expansion slot. T-Mobile customers get first dibs on the LX starting October 17, while the rest of the world can buy it in stores and online on October 24. Pricing is set at $299.99 with a two-year contract.
Now, we haven't had a chance to play around with these two new Sidekicks yet--we're hearing promises of the next week or two--so it's hard to comment about the new designs, which seem to be the biggest difference between the two devices and the Sidekick 3. Frankly, I wish there was a little more in the multimedia department considering the youth appeal of the Sidekick. Anyway, I'm curious: Among the current Sidekick owners and potential Sidekick owners, which one of these devices are you more interested in and why? Is there enough there to make you want to buy it?
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