T-Mobile have released the Sidekick LX 2009, the latest version of the popular messaging handset. The first of the range to support 3G, as we found in our review the Sidekick LX 2009 offers an incredible screen, GPS and a decent nod toward the latest social networking fashions with MySpace, Facebook and Twitter clients.
We’ve had some much-anticipated and long-awaited gadgets land at SlashGear this week, so we’ve gone overboard with unboxing videos and hands-on galleries. The Verizon MiFi 2200 only had its official announcement earlier this week, but we’ve been waiting for the Novatel EVDO-hotspot for so long you must forgive us some excitement. Meanwhile the Vodafone HTC Magic has the honor of being only the second Android phone to the market, while the Tonium Pacemaker manages to offer something unique in a sea of PMPs.
Talk about messaging phones and you’ll inevitably get to the Sidekick. T-Mobile’s screen-flipping feature-phone has a history of offering smartphone style push email, web access and social networking with a straightforward UI; now there’s a new addition to the family tree, in the shape of the Sidekick LX 2009. The simple name-change over last year’s model hides a number of improvements, however, not least a stunning display, 3G and GPS. Are they enough to maintain the Sidekick reputation, or has the feature-phone crown been snatched away? SlashGear set to finding out.
The Boy Genius Report posted a mock-up of a Nokia phone supposedly in the works. They’re claiming it is a “swivel E71-Type” device for Verizon Wireless. The image is based on a description given to BGR by the tipster.
A new Sidekick has been passed by the FCC, using T-Mobile USA’s AWS 3G bands. Although there’s no confirmation on which device it is – the product name is PV300 – the expectation is that this is the Sidekick LX 2009 (aka Sidekick 2009).
After showing up on a list of imminent T-Mobile USA handsets, the Sidekick LX 2009 has made another appearance. This time the 3G messaging handset is listed – in two color versions, ”carbon” and “orchid” - in T-Mobile’s own inventory system.
A leaked list of T-Mobile USA release dates has emerged, seemingly confirming that the carrier will launch the Sidekick 2009 “Blade” on May 13th. The list also suggests that the HTC Touch Pro2 will arrive on July 22nd, together with a clutch of pre- and postpay Samsung handsets across Q3 2009.
We opened the week with our first-impressions of the T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900, a surprisingly adept smartphone that’s managed to impress despite the absence of 3G. We’ve also been playing with Vuzix’s iWear AV230XL OLED video headset, and the VIA Artigo A2000 Barebone Storage Server. Finally, if you prefer your gadgets with a bit of (artificial) flesh on their bones, take a look at our Orbita Mouse unboxing; we’ll have the full review this coming week.
A leaked document purporting to detail the Sidekick LX 2009 has appeared in an online survey. According to the image, the Sidekick LX 2009 will add 3G for high-speed internet access, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording, and YouTube mobile access via the handset’s browser. It will of course keep the traditional Sidekick full QWERTY keyboard, together with a slide-up 3.2-inch WVGA display running at 854 x 480 resolution.
Full-sized image and some cleaned-up shots of the Sidekick LX 2009 itself after the cut
T-Mobile’s Sidekick is one of the heavyweights in the text-messaging realm for young and socially connected consumers. Today T-Mobile introduces its latest Sidekick, the Sidekick 2008. Previously dubbed the Sidekick Gekko, the new messaging-focused handset kicks off a new naming convention. But how does the new Sidekick fare compared to its predecessors and rivals?
SlashGear Japan
