According to Hiptop3′s sources, the 2008 Sidekick models are all being permanently discontinued at least, though there’s no word on whether T-Mobile expect to get more stock of the LX 2009 Carbon back in.  At least one T-Mobile subscriber has claimed that the handsets are still available to upgrade customers, though we’ve found no sign of that.

Going by previous rumors, T-Mobile are expected to replace the Sidekick line with the upcoming T-Mobile myTouch Slide.  That device – running Android with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and optical trackpad – is believed to be scheduled for release on May 17th.

“T-Mobile is pleased to announce that Sidekick sales have resumed. New pricing for the Sidekick LX 2009 will be $149.99 with a two-year contract and the Sidekick 2008 will be $49.99 with a two-year contract” T-Mobile USA statement

T-Mobile, Danger and Microsoft’s data backup systems were shown to be woefully inadequate last month, when a system update apparently failed and the teams responsible for managing users’ remotely-stored content discovered the backups were seemingly lost.  Microsoft eventually recovered most if not all of the data and began feeding it back to handsets.  Still, it remains to be seen how many users will now trust the service.

[via Boy Genius Report]

That gift card can be used to buy accessories or anything else from the carrier, or put toward payment of a bill.  We’re wondering whether it’s valid toward early termination fees; many Sidekick users are talking about abandoning the platform altogether after this most recent incident.

T-Mobile have already given all Sidekick users a month of free data service as apology for last week’s outages.  The data loss has been blamed on a poorly managed upgrade to the Sidekick data servers by Microsoft and Hitachi.

T-Mobile Statement:

T-MOBILE STATUS UPDATE ON SIDEKICK DATA DISRUPTION, MON., OCT. 12

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:

We are thankful for your continued patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on preserving platform stability and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers. We have made significant progress this past weekend, restoring services to virtually every customer. Microsoft/Danger has teams of experts in place who are working around-the-clock to ensure this stability is maintained.

Regarding those of you who have lost personal content, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger continue to do all we can to recover and return any lost information. Recent efforts indicate the prospects of recovering some lost content may now be possible. We will continue to keep you updated on this front; we know how important this is to you.

In the event certain customers have experienced a significant and permanent loss of personal content, T-Mobile will be sending these customers a $100 customer appreciation card. This will be in addition to the free month of data service that already went to Sidekick data customers. This card can be used towards T-Mobile products and services, or a customer’s T-Mobile bill. For those who fall into this category, details will be sent out in the next 14 days – there is no action needed on the part of these customers. We however remain hopeful that for the majority of our customers, personal content can be recovered.

Sidekick customers can continue to visit T-Mobile Sidekick Forums (http://www.t-mobile.com/sidekick) on a regular basis to access the latest updates, as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption. The Forums also offers tips and suggestions for rebuilding content on your device.

Check out the official statement after the cut

Although the official version of events isn’t yet known, according to fan-site Hiptop3 the problem arose when Microsoft outsourced backup and cloud-data systems for Sidekick to Hitachi.  Neither Microsoft nor Hitachi made backups prior to or immediately after the handover in responsibility, and the SAN (Storage Area Network) upgrade failed, losing data in the process.  Microsoft and Danger claim to be working on recovering lost data, but their prospects are grim; they’re hoping users will be able to restore much of their information from the devices themselves, hence the insistence that users don’t do anything which will cause the Sidekick to attempt to refresh its local content with the now-absent version on the servers.

T-Mobile, Microsoft and Danger have promised more information today, including news on their data recovery efforts.  It also seems likely that there’ll be some level of recompense for those affected, though whether it will be enough to sate the fury of owners remains to be seen.  As we remember from back in February, when Nokia’s Ovi servers died and lost a mere three weeks’ worth of data, users were reluctant to trust the service again.  That’s one thing when you’re using a free backup system, but when the data loss happens because of mismanagement of a core element of your cellphone system, that’s going to put you off paying the monthly tithe.

Official Statement

T-MOBILE AND MICROSOFT/DANGER STATUS UPDATE ON SIDEKICK DATA DISRUPTION

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:

T-Mobile and the Sidekick data services provider, Danger, a subsidiary of Microsoft, are reaching out to express our apologies regarding the recent Sidekick data service disruption.

We appreciate your patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on maintaining platform stability, and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers.

Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger’s latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device – such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos – that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger. That said, our teams continue to work around-the-clock in hopes of discovering some way to recover this information. However, the likelihood of a successful outcome is extremely low. As such, we wanted to share this news with you and offer some tips and suggestions to help you rebuild your personal content. You can find these tips in our Sidekick Contacts FAQ. We encourage you to visit the Forums on a regular basis to access the latest updates as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.

In addition, we plan to communicate with you on Monday (Oct. 12) the status of the remaining issues caused by the service disruption, including the data recovery efforts and the Download Catalog restoration which we are continuing to resolve. We also will communicate any additional tips or suggestions that may help in restoring your content.

We recognize the magnitude of this inconvenience. Our primary efforts have been focused on restoring our customers’ personal content. We also are considering additional measures for those of you who have lost your content to help reinforce how valuable you are as a T-Mobile customer.

We continue to advise customers to NOT reset their device by removing the battery or letting their battery drain completely, as any personal content that currently resides on your device will be lost.

Once again, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger regret any and all inconvenience this matter has caused.

There’s no clear indication of which issues have been addressed with the new firmware, but given freezing has been reported not only with the core device itself but in its social networking apps (such as the Twitter client) it seems reasonable to assume that it’s a relatively comprehensive overhaul.  Any Sidekick LX 2009 users experiencing these problems?  Let us know how you’re getting on with your phone in the comments.

New images of the Blackberry Storm 2 surfaced on CrackBerry.com via PhoneMag.com.

We also heard that T-Mobile has started selling the SideKick LX for $249.99 with a two-year contract. We’ve gotten a good look at the HTC Willow for Sprint today as well by means of leaked photos. And if the leaked info is to be believed, the device will cost $149 and be released in June.

Additionally, we learned that the LG Viewty Smart will start shipping this month. But even more impressive is the fact that the company will be announcing a 12-megapixel camera phone sometime this year. That’s it for today folks. More phone news tomorrow.

Battery life for the sizable handset is rated at up to 5.5hrs talktime or 8 days standby, plus there’s a 3.2-megapixel camera which supports video recording and geotagging.  In the box T-Mobile throw in a 128MB microSD card, but we’d recommend picking up a larger one online if you intend to use the media functionality of the LX 2009.

The T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 is available to order online now, in either “carbon” (as in our photos) or “orchid” finish.  It’s priced at $249.99 after a $150 instant discount and $50 mail-in rebate.

[via phoneArena]

Outside of unboxings, we spent some hands-on video time with Sony’s Walkman X with its luscious OLED display, and reviewed the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 with a pretty special LCD screen of its own.  Finally the Pro Cyc MyStudio 20 tabletop photo studio turned up for its own review, and proved an excellent – if not especially cheap – way to take high-quality product images.

The other big news of the week has been the announcement of the Amazon Kindle DX, big 9.7-inch brother to the Kindle 2 and an attempt by the retailer to clean up in the textbook and newspaper markets.  Check out our hands-on video and photos here.

In software, Microsoft set free the Windows 7 Release Client (RC), and spawned a whole new wave of upgrades as users get to grips with the fresh OS.  We were particularly interested to see how Windows 7 RC runs on netbook hardware, and weren’t disappointed; sadly, the same can’t be said for the performance of the Acer Aspire One 751, which manages to chug along miserably even with just XP thanks to an underpowered processor.  Still, at least it looks pretty, though whether that will be enough to stave off the competition from ASUS’ tipped 11.6-inch Eee PC – expected to launch this month – remains to be seen.

In mobile devices, Bell Mobility announced that they’ve snapped up the Palm Pre for its exclusive Canadian launch, though our friends north of the border will have to wait until an unspecified date in the second half of 2009 for its actual release.  Meanwhile we saw a video demo of the Samsung Alias 2 with its unique E Ink keyboard – the phone itself lands in stores on Monday – and leaked shots of what’s purported to be the Nokia 5900 XpressMusic.

Finally, if you thought plasma TV was a dying technology, think again; it still has the power to surprise and impress when it comes to sheer inches.  Samsung took minimalism as their prompt with the 850 PAVV HDTV, going for a set just 29mm thick, while Shinoda went to screen-size extremes with a 145-inch plasma display.  Perhaps not the most sensible of launches in today’s economic times, but as headline grabbers they take some beating.

Handset manufacturer Sharp have switched to a raised membrane design for the keyboard, which you might expect to ruin the tradition of excellent Sidekick keyboards.  Instead, it’s even better than the LX it replaces, tactile and well-spaced.  This is definitely a phone for messaging; the flip-side of decent key spacing is that the LX 2009 itself is a sizable handset, to the point we felt a little silly holding it to our head for voice calls.  Blunt edges and a thinner but nowhere-near-thin casing makes this the LX 2009 actually longer than the 2009, for all that it’s not quite as thick.

Forgiveness is overwhelming, however, once the incredible LCD display comes to life.  At 3.2-inches and 854 x 480 resolution, it’s colorful, insanely crisp and offers a real challenge to the AMOLED screens we’ve seen.  You can understand why Danger went to town with the navigation animations, though the fact that the trackball lacks precision meant we overshot menu options more than we liked.  Underneath is a long, thin LED strip which launches an impromptu disco whenever calls, messages or emails arrive; it’s hard to imagine that you’d miss the loud ringer or bone-shaking vibrate-alert, but the light effects seem to think it’s a risk worth preparing for.

The LX 2009 marks a significant milestone for the Sidekick lineage in that it’s the first model to include 3G.  Previous models relied on EDGE and some clever server-side webpage fettling to avoid undue delays; frankly, 3G would’ve been wasted as T-Mobile USA’s high-speed network lacked the coverage to make it worthwhile for all but the smallest minority of subscribers.  Now, with the carrier’s roll-out continuing apace, the LX 2009 catches up, but it feels as though the server-side processing hasn’t kept pace.  Page renders are acceptable but nothing special, and the browser itself is outclassed by Opera Mini or Safari Mobile.  Still, it’s hard to see how T-Mobile could do much more without a touchscreen; we’re so used to tapping to zoom and swiping to drag across the page it’s tough relying on the trackball.

GPS is another fresh addition, and it’s a functional if not exactly elegant implementation.  Unlike what seems like every other mapping-enabled cellphone, the LX 2009 uses Microsoft’s Live Search rather than Google’s products; of course, Danger is now owned by Microsoft.  The display steps up to offer maps in glorious detail, particularly when looking at satellite views, but there are no turn-by-turn directions only a list of turns.  Overall, though, GPS seems to have been underused in the LX 2009; there’s no Latitude-style “I’m here!” feature for Twitter, no friend locater and not even teen-friendly pedestrian directions.

Messaging has always been the Sidekick’s forte, and Danger have done their best to keep up with what’s fashionable in social networking.  The Sidekick LX 2009 ships with preloaded MySpace, Facebook and Twitter clients, with the former offering access to searching, viewing profiles, messaging and commenting, and access to image galleries.  The LX 2009′s Twitter app puts updates straight on the phone’s homepage, which is something we wish other handsets would copy, but at its fastest will only check for new messages every five minutes.  It’s a shame, as the app otherwise includes everything we could ask for: profile viewing, following and unfollowing, and of course that eminently-peckable keyboard to blast out your own tweets.

In fact it seems Danger were so busy catching up with Twitter that they neglected to bring their SMS and email apps up to date.  The email app will still only allow three external accounts to be added, and the SMS app is limited to 100 inbox messages.  It won’t disappoint any Sidekick upgraders, but neither will it blow anyone away.  Considering the advances in email-cellphone integration – look at the GMail client on Android handsets, for example – the LX 2009 is at risk of losing its edge.

The 3.2-megapixel camera is a welcome leap in megapixels but won’t replace anything but the cheapest of point-and-shoots.  The LED flash falls into the trap of over-saturating closer shots and yet proving too weak for anything more distant, but the autofocus snaps into place reasonably quickly and there’s little delay between clicking the right shoulder-button and the frame being captured.  GPS can be used to geotag images – although you’ll need to turn it on first, as Danger leave it switched off by default – and there are options to share shots via MMS, Bluetooth, email or straight to a Facebook gallery.  Of course, you can always whip out the memory card or use the supplied miniUSB cable to hook up to a computer.  Video is less successful, with highest resolution topping out at 320 x 240 and quality coming in at sub-digital camera level, never mind that of a cheap camcorder. 

Phone features – once you’ve gotten past the bulk by your ear – are serviceable, with a little echo but no noticeable hiss.  We tested several Bluetooth headsets with the LX 2009 and had no issues either with connecting or using them day to day.  Those who prefer wired headsets will be pleased with the standard 3.5mm socket, also ideal for using the handset as a PMP with your own headphones, but it’s side-mounted which could present an issue when the LX 2009 is monopolizing your pocket.

Overall, there’s a sense that the Sidekick LX 2009 has grown up for its latest incarnation, but not quite at the same pace that rival devices have matured.  QWERTY keyboards are no longer unusual on feature-phones, and function-savvy teen and twenty-something buyers have wised-up to exactly what social networking apps can be used on the move.  Existing Sidekick owners will likely find enough in the 3G, GPS and awesome display to prompt an upgrade, but there’s no must-have feature that will pull in fresh blood.  In many ways that’s a shame; the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 is certainly the best of its lineage, it simply faces a market so competitive that it’s all to easy to slip from view.

Want a second opinion?  PhoneMag.com have also reviewed the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009

Sidekick handsets manufactured by Sharp are traditionally referred to via the PV prefix with a three-digit number.  That and the “Powered by DANGER” text confirms that this is the latest version of the popular messaging series, and with the rumored 3G intact.

Details regarding the Sidekick LX 2009 – including its 3G capabilities – leaked back in January.  The handset itself is expected to launch on May 13th, with listings for the device (in two color variants) already showing up on the T-Mobile inventory system.

[via SlashPhone]

The earlier leak suggested that the handset would launch in roughly a month’s time, on May 13th.  As for the colors, “carbon” is likely a metallic gray or black, while “orchid” could be anything from cream to purple.

The Sidekick LX 2009 (aka the Sidekick 2009) is believed to have 3G connectivity, a 3.2-inch display running at 854 x 480 resolution, integrated GPS and a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and a flash.  It’s also meant to have updated software, bringing improved full-HTML browsing and YouTube support.

[via Hiptop3]

The full list of release dates is as follows:

• “Blade” (Sidekick 2009) – May 13
• HTC “Maple”/”Snap” – July 1st (contrary to earlier speculation, this seems to confirm a T-Mobile variant)
• HTC “Rhodium”/Wing II – July 22nd (also known as the Touch Pro 2)
• HTC “Sapphire”/”Magic” – TBD (aka G2)
• Sony Ericsson “CS8″ – June 24th (8mp camera? Is this the Android device they’ve been talking about?)
• Nokia 1661 (prepaid) – April 29th (a week later than previously mentioned)
• Samsung T349 (prepaid) – May 6th
• Samsung T239 (prepaid) – May 13th
• Samsung T559 – July 15th
• Samsung T469 – July 15th (just a simple two-tone gray, apparently)
• Samsung T749 – July 22nd (2 colors for this one: red/orange and two-tone gray)
• Samsung T659 – August 19th

The Sidekick 2009 in-the-wild image leaked back in February.  According to earlier specification leaks, the handset will have 3G connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with flash, YouTube access and integrated GPS.  That’s along with the traditional QWERTY keyboard and a flip-up screen believed to be 3.2-inches running at 854 x 480 resolution. 

[via MobileCrunch]

Netbooks slammed back into the headlines this week, with Acer seizing most attention with the official announcement of their 10-inch Aspire One.  We’ve seen the live pictures, we’ve read the specs – including confirmed SSD and Linux options sometime after launch – and you may even have placed a pre-order; now we just want the real thing to play with.  Meanwhile MSI’s Wind U120 got its first review – mediocre at best – while the Samsung NC20 impressed with its HD-capable VIA Nano chipset.  Lastly, NVIDIA’s outspoken CEO had some harsh words for Intel and some flattering ones for their rivals, while of course saving the most love for Ion and Tegra.

In other mobile devices, we’re expecting Amazon to announce the Kindle 2 ebook reader at their February 9th press conference, while also predicted for February is the Virgin Mobile Helio Ocean 2.  Will it be better late than never for the much-delayed smartphone?  Other QWERTY goodness is promised from T-Mobile, with leaked details of the Sidekick LX 2009, and Verizon, whose LG VX9600 – complete with trick detachable keyboard module – is expected on February 22nd.

Elsewhere, the financial bad news continued with surprise announcements from Canon and Sony, the former revealing an 81-percent dive in profits while the latter reported an even worse 95-percent crash.  It looks like Canon can’t release the freshly-teased Mark III N DSLR fast enough.

Finally, if you thought the Palm/Apple IP furore was over, think again – the US Patent Office have finally awarded Apple their multitouch patent, leaving analysts, users and pundits all scrabbling for information over what exactly the Cupertino company hold the keys to.  Apple, for their part, seem to be too busy preparing the successor to the iPhone 3G to bother filling us in.

This coming week we’ll have the full review of the BlackBerry Curve 8900, together with the Orbita Mouse.  We’ll also be looking at the run-up to Mobile World Congress, and wondering out loud exactly what Barcelona has in store.  Thanks for reading SlashGear!

Full-sized image and some cleaned-up shots of the Sidekick LX 2009 itself after the cut

Other specs include a new social networking app suite, with Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (including video upload support) and the aforementioned YouTube Mobile access, in-built GPS with turn-by-turn navigation and Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps, and the “signature” Sidekick IM/SMS/email access.  There’ll also be Microsoft Exchange and Outlook synchronization.

Recognizing that more people are wanting to access content-creation tools on the move, the Sidekick LX 2009 will also have a blog publishing, editing and management client, the ability to upload images to Photobucket, and to record and upload video to both MySpace and Photobucket.  Onboard storage can be expanded up to 8GB via microSD card.

Although there’s no guaranteeing that this is the eventual device we’ll see on shelves this year, the combination of Sidekick LX evolutionary features and greater focus on apps and services from Danger-owner Microsoft seem to suggest that it’s an authentic leak.