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Sidekick LX launching on T-Mobile October 24?
Sure, Photoshop is always a concern with this sort of business, but let's face it -- October 24 is a totally reasonable date for Sharp's latest Sidekick to launch considering how long we've been talking about it. This here is apparently a Sidekick-shaped card that'll be available in T-Mobile retail locations, promising its owner an actual LX come launch date. The reverse features a picture of the phone itself, which by all appearances seems to match up nicely with what we've seen so far. So, we ask again: Slide or LX?[Thanks, Ed]
T-Mobile, Danger introduce MySpace Mobile for Sidekick
Once Helio's claim to fame, mobile versions of MySpace are spreading across carriers large and small now; seems this whole social networking thing isn't a fad after all. The bulk of the Hiptop user base seems like a key MySpace demographic, so it makes sense that T-Mobile and Danger have joined the fray with a customized version of MySpace Mobile for the Sidekick range. The software's more than a simple mobile web portal, offering real-time status, profile editing, photo management, and communication with other members assembled into a decidedly Danger-like user interface. The companies are undertaking a "multi-week rollout" to the on-device Download Catalog beginning immediately with availability to all Sidekick 3 and iD users by the end of October, so enjoy your last few weeks of productivity while you can.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sidekick Slide hits the FCC, user's manual and all
Previously leaked shots of Motorola's Sidekick Slide were met with a lukewarm reception -- take your pick of complaints from the bizarre color scheme, the unfortunate looking keypad, the lack of a swivel display, or the fact that there's little technological improvement here over the Sidekick 3 -- and we've gotta say, the FCC's unflattering shots aren't doing it any favors. For what it's worth, though, you can now peruse the user's manual of the upcoming release for T-Mobile, a device that'll launch alongside the arguably more desirable Sidekick LX from Danger's more seasoned hardware partner, Sharp. Besides some enthralling instructions on how to apply pressure to the display to slide it open, there's not much here of interest; one thing we noted was a blurb on page 7 referring to the device as the Hiptop 4, but we're guessing there's still some draft cleanup to do and it'll likely revert to Sidekick Slide branding throughout by the time it hits the presses.%Gallery-7570%
Sidekick LX "Shuriken" in the wild?
Is it just us, or does this thing look... well, not that great? This here is allegedly a shot of the upcoming Shuriken / Sidekick LX / Sidekick 4 -- Sharp's next-gen Hiptop alongside Motorola's Sidekick Slide -- doing its thing in the wild. Sadly, the case looks like cheap black plastic, the keyboard looks bizzare, and the chrome speaker looks out of place, though we suppose those bits could all be little pieces of preproduction indiscretion. Fortunately, the rumored 3-inch widescreen display should go a long way toward making up for any lingering ugliness when it launches in the not-too-distant future, but the Slide's looking a little better now, ain't it?
"Shuriken" is Sharp's Sidekick 4?
Remember those renderings of two upcoming Sidekicks, one labeled the "Sidekick Slide" and the other called out simply as the "Sidekick"? We now know a heck of a lot more about the Slide, and it seems the mysterious "Sidekick" might be getting outed now, too. Hiptop3.com is reporting that the handset is codenamed "Shuriken," a device that will ultimately become the Sidekick 4 sporting a full 3 inch widescreen display, microSD slot, and 1.3 megapixel camera. Unlike the Motorola-made Slide, the Sidekick 4 will be made by Danger's old pal Sharp. None of this is verified, of course, but the leaked screen cap is calling out a Q4 release -- in Germany, at least -- so we'll know soon enough.[Thanks, EC and Boy Genius]
More Sidekick Slide eye candy
The single picture of the Sidekick Slide from Danger (alias "Zante" in codename parlance) posted yesterday on Boy Genius Report left us wanting for... oh, say, 27 more pictures, to be precise. That gallery is now live, showing the Motorola "M" logo (a first for a Danger device) in all its metallic glory, some comparo shots to a Sidekick 3, and -- of course -- the obligatory iPhone shot. Check it out![Thanks, EC]
Future Sidekicks: LX and LE?
There's growing evidence in the ever-vigilant Sidekick community to support the suggestion that Danger will be rocking out with not one, not two, but a whole bounty of new models in the coming year. Unfortunately, we still don't really know with certainty what's what -- there's a device being referred to as the "Slide" (which may also be the "Zante"), there's likely a Sidekick 4 in there somewhere (which may or may not be the same thing as the Slide), and now we have the "LX" and "LE" to worry about. A series of posts over on Hiptop3.com has managed to gather evidence suggesting that a Sidekick LX and Sidekick LE are both on the way; if the leaked T-Mobile document wasn't enough proof, it turns out that the carrier has secured the rights to the domains sidekicklx.com and sidekickle.com. There's seems to be a lot of hardware in play here from Sharp and Motorola so we're going to keep the speculation to a minimum, but it seems Danger's doing alright for itself, eh?[Thanks, Ed]
The Boy Genius Report: T-Mobile's new Sidekicks?
Field tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, The Boy Genius.Yeah, they're just renderings, but they sure do look believable, don't they? Or maybe we just want to believe -- we can't really tell any more -- but for what it's worth, we're allegedly looking at a pair of future Sidekicks destined for Danger's favorite carrier, T-Mobile. Details are slim, but the Sidekick Slide seems to be the Motorola-sourced device we've been hearing about, considering the big, fat "M" logo to the left of the display. The one on the left is a little more mysterious considering that it's merely labeled "Sidekick," but it seems a likely candidate to succeed the 3. Whether either one of these is the oft-rumored "Zante" is unclear, but either way, it seems Danger's got its plate full for the next few months!
Sidekick iD now on sale
Seems a bit of a formality at this point, but yeah, T-Mobile is now officially happy to accept your hard-earned $99.99 -- after contract, rebates, and discounts, of course -- for a Sidekick iD. Compared to its older sibling, the venerable Sidekick 3, the iD eschews some arguably unnecessary features like Bluetooth and EDGE data in exchange for a price point friendly to the younger crowd to which the device is squarely targeted. In the end, the choice of goodies to remove ended up being a bit controversial (Bluetooth in particular), but the colorful bits are kinda cool, we guess -- and gussying up an iD with a different color panel is a heck of a lot cheaper than rocking a D-Wade 3.
"Danger hiptop 2.0" burns rubber in speed tests
Call it wild speculation -- because that's exactly what it is -- but when you see a bunch of "Danger hiptop 2.0"-class browsers hauling butt at speeds approaching 2.0Mbps (according to dslreports.com's speed test, anyway), it's bound to raise a few eyebrows. Said browsers are coming from the dngr.net domain; we suspect it's possible that the speeds are actually indicative of what's being seen between the dslreports.com server and Danger's proxy, but instead we'd like to dream of a WCDMA-enabled Sidekick being prepped for T-Mobile's 3G launch later this year. Seems plausible enough, right?[Thanks, teeratt]
Sidekick iD reviewed
A Sidekick for the low price of $99 is enough to get any Danger fan excited -- but just what do you give up in exchange for the price break? That's precisely what T-Mobile is about to push out the door to give the cash-starved (and the frugal) among us a taste of the older, higher end Sidekick 3. LAPTOP Magazine had the chance to sit down and put the iD through its paces, pointing out the glaring lack of MP3 playback, camera, Bluetooth, and expandable memory. On the flipside, though, what's left is still Sidekick through and through: a messaging focus, mobile web surfing and the typical Hiptop form factor that makes voice calling just a tad awkward. More is lacking in the iD, though -- the lack of even 2.5G EDGE data is going to make serious surfing an exercise in frustration. Are there any old-school GPRS fans out there still? We thought not, but there probably are a few Sidekick-for-$100 fans. All told, LAPTOP was digging the myFaves integration (you're next, Sidekick 3 users) but found the nixed features a little tough to swallow, suggesting folks might be better served saving up a little extra coin for the 3 or a Motorola Q to get mobile multimedia done right.
Sidekick ID, myFaves support to shore up Danger on T-Mobile
We've noticed that Hiptop users tend to be some of the most rabid, intensely loyal fans of their devices around; the reasons vary a bit from user to user, but the gist seems to be that Danger knows how to make products that simply work with minimal fuss. So yeah, to that end, good news: Danger and T-Mobile hear you guys, and the love is going to get a little stronger this year. First up, myFaves support is going to get pushed to Sidekick 3 owners over-the-air -- as all Sidekick updates tend to come -- adding a critical feature out of T-Mobile's playbook to its most popular exclusive device. Oh, and the Danger options in T-Mobile's lineup are going to get a little more extensive, too (read: two devices instead of one). We knew there was a low-end Hiptop of some sort gettin' baked by California's funkiest mobile platform folks, but the smart money always said it'd be called something a little more interesting than "PV150," Sharp's model number for the new piece. We now have that name, at least in T-Mobile nomenclature: "Sidekick ID." Besides being myFaves compatible, the new model will lack EDGE and a cam to keep pricing low -- like "$99.99 after $50 rebate" low. Not bad, Danger; not bad at all. Just add a high-end Sidekick with support for T-Mobile's odd brand of 3G and you'll have a little something for everyone.[Thanks, The Fish]
Sharp, Danger prepping low-end Hiptop?
We're light on details and heavy on extraordinarily boring radiation analysis reports at this point, but the FCC's just cleared a Sharp device going by the model number PV150. Ring any bells? It should -- the Hiptop 2 went by PV100 and the Hiptop 3, PV200, suggesting that this'll be another Danger-developed device (as if the "Powered by Danger" on the ID label weren't evidence enough) slotting somewhere in between. Interestingly, there's no mention of 2.4GHz testing in the FCC docs, leading us to believe that the PV150 (Hiptop 2 1/2?) lacks Bluetooth and lending support to the theory that this is a lower-end device. On the upside, GSM 850 and 1900 are both on board, so T-Mobile would have little trouble slapping a "Sidekick" label on this one and rolling it out in these parts. Rest assured, we're going to be on the hunt for shots of this sucker.[Via Phone Scoop]
Custom backgrounds on your Sidekick 3
Where there's a will, there's usually a way. Sidekick 3 owners miffed about being trapped inside Danger's walled garden of content will be happy to know that some resourceful peeps have managed to drop custom backgrounds and themes on their units -- and it appears to be a pretty simple process, to boot. Modify a text file, drop a few images via USB, and you're good to go. At least until Danger decides to patch to get you non-conformists back in line, that is.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sidekick 3 wipes credit cards?
Apparently, the magnet used to latch the screen on the Sidekick 3 can hold a fork captive, leading some guys with a credit card reader to ask the obvious question: what happens if a magnetic data stripe passes in harm's way? Sho' nuff, it looks like you get a bricked card. Of course, the number can still be read and typed in, but stay with us, folks -- the point is that the closed Sidekick ate the stripe in less than a second of exposure. We're guessing most people aren't carrying their credit cards in their pocket along with their phone, but don't say you haven't been warned.[Via Mobile Magazine]
Sidekick 3 review roundup
By the time the Bluetoothin', memory expandin' Sidekick 3 drops on T-Mobile come next month, it's our duty here at Engadget to make sure our readers practically know more about the phone than your average Danger employee. The next phase in that plan involves a barrage of reviews, presented here for your perusal. Complaints centered around the device's weak-but-common 1.3 megapixel camera, while the redesigned glossy keyboard earned mixed ratings. The critical reaction has been generally positive, with some reviewers suggesting that the third iteration of the Hiptop is the first one strong enough to serve as a dedicated phone. Read - Mobileburn Read - PC Magazine Read - LAPTOP Magazine Read - Phone Scoop
Sidekick III gives us a peep show
Hiptop news is all the rage today, it seems. Not satisfied merely showing off her shapely exterior, Sidekick III may be bringing us her first screen capture, as well. (Scrawled handwriting not included. We hope.) The UI appears to be refined while still retaining that youthful Danger charm, and if this screen cap is real, the unified messenging is definitely a welcome a bonus. But let's be honest -- the real story here is Bluetooth and expandable memory, right? We grafted the screen cap onto the Sidekick III's body for your viewing pleasure above -- see the original after the break.
The Sidekick III "reviewed"
So, it might seem a bit ridiculous for someone to write up a review of a product that is not only so far unannounced and unavailable, but that he hasn't even managed to personally photograph. But that's not stopping BSD of the Sidekick 3 blog, who has managed to eke out a review. Obviously we can't verify his claims, but he seems to have a few sources to help him out with info, along with the fact that most of his details seem pretty common sensical and/or confirmed by the pics we've seen so far. He says the unit has a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, Bluetooth, a SD card slot, built-in MP3, and support for multiple IM protocols. The form factor is a sort of mix between the original Sidekick and the Sidekick II, and is notably bulky for a modern phone. There's a new cursor nubbin, which works well but feels a little flaky, along with an updated keyboard. Sadly, the screen is the same size and resolution as always, which is starting to thoroughly date the device. Luckily the SD slot makes music playback and PC file interchange easy, and the Bluetooth not only works well, but seems to provide some sort of PC functionality, which is always nice. Sounds like the device is mostly the same as far software goes, but it does seem the interface has been spruced a bit, and the AIM, Yahoo and MSN IM support are a big plus. We'll try and reserve judgement until we manage to get a Sidekick III in hand, but if this review is for real we can't have too terribly long to wait.
