The Danger / Microsoft team is continuing to work around the clock on the data restoration process. We apologize that this is taking so long, but we want to make sure we are doing everything possible to maintain the integrity of your data.

We continue to make steady progress, and we hope to be able to begin restoring personal contacts for affected users this week, with the remainder of the content (photographs, notes, to-do-lists, marketplace data, and high scores) shortly thereafter.

This data restoration effort is only necessary for customers who lost data from their Sidekick devices. We appreciate your ongoing patience.

So, in a nutshell, if your data has not been recovered soooooo sooooorry. Please don't sue. [Microsoft]

The statement goes on to say they will "work around the clock to restore data to all affected users, including calendar, notes, tasks, photographs and high scores, as quickly as possible."

The data loss was apparently caused by a system failure that created data loss in the core database and the back-up. I'm not sure if that means sabotage or not.

Meanwhile, we now hear that a number of pissed off users have filed lawsuits. Maybe this isn't the end to this after all. [T-Mobile]

Dear T-Mobile Sidekick customers,
On behalf of Microsoft, I want to apologize for the recent problems with the Sidekick service and give you an update on the steps we have taken to resolve these problems.

We are pleased to report that we have recovered most, if not all, customer data for those Sidekick customers whose data was affected by the recent outage. We plan to begin restoring users' personal data as soon as possible, starting with personal contacts, after we have validated the data and our restoration plan. We will then continue to work around the clock to restore data to all affected users, including calendar, notes, tasks, photographs and high scores, as quickly as possible.

We now believe that data loss affected a minority of Sidekick users. If your Sidekick account was among those affected, please continue to log into these forums for the latest updates about when data restoration will begin, and any steps you may need to take. We will work with T-Mobile to post the next update on data restoration timing no later than Saturday.

We have determined that the outage was caused by a system failure that created data loss in the core database and the back-up. We rebuilt the system component by component, recovering data along the way. This careful process has taken a significant amount of time, but was necessary to preserve the integrity of the data.

We will continue working closely with T-Mobile to restore user data as quickly as possible. We are eager to deliver the level of reliable service that our incredibly loyal customers have become accustomed to, and we are taking immediate steps to help ensure this does not happen again. Specifically, we have made changes to improve the overall stability of the Sidekick Service and initiated a more resilient backup process to ensure that the integrity of our database backups is maintained.

Once again, we apologize for this situation and the inconvenience that it has created. Please know that we are working all-out to resolve this situation and restore the reliability of the service.

Sincerely,
Roz Ho
Corporate Vice President
Premium Mobile Experiences, Microsoft Corporation

An anonymous tipster with seemingly extensive knowledge about the Danger/Pink team has this to say to Apple Insider as to what caused the massive data outage:

...someone with access to the servers at the datacenter must have inserted a time bomb to wipe out not just all of the data, but also all of the backup tapes, and finally, I suspect, reformatting the server hard drives so that the service itself could not be restarted with a simple reboot (and to erase any traces of the time bomb itself)... If this was an ordinary sort of failure, the service would have come back within a day, so once again, all signs point to sabotage.

After all the reports we've been hearing about the troubled state of the Danger/Pink team, it's certainly plausible that there are more than a few disgruntled employees who could cause such a catastrophic failure. Whether or not anyone would is another question, but this whole thing is so waaaay out of the ordinary, I'm willing to believe it. [Apple Insider via Fast Company]

What's interesting is that the three posters all have one thing in common: they switched-off their phones. That goes against T-Mobile's official warning: "During this service disruption, please DO NOT remove your battery, reset your Sidekick, or allow it to lose power."

Unfortunately, some users still tried what the Sidekick users below did, and now their phones won't even turn on.

Tommyd2107 says:

I turned off my phone a couple times over the course of the outage. Last night I began manually importing all my numbers back into my phone, then today when I went out on my phone and after I hung up… all 396 of my contacts returned.

Generalblue says:

Got my contacts back too! My phone froze up on me and since I have already lost everything anyways, I just took the battery out and put it back in. Once my phone was on about 5 minutes later I checked my address book for some reason and they were all there. I saved all my contacts to my SIM card.

Dariahna says:

The same thing happened to me...I shut my phone off several times without removing the battery...voile'! My contacts returned!

At that point, a T-Mobile rep jumped into the conversation: "We would like to collect some examples of this." I bet they would. Meanwhile, the Sidekick LX is marked "temporarily out of stock" over at T-Mobile. [T-Mobile Forums and InfoWorld]

T-Mo seems really sorry about this, you guys. Of course, they did lose a ton of customer data that's unlikely to be found, but at least they're properly apologetic. They're doing their best to get the data back, and both they and Microsoft/Danger seem sort of optimistic about it, so it may not be a lost cause quite yet. The full 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.

According to Channelweb, the Premium Mobile Experiences (PMX) team has caused, either by layoffs or by pissing them off, a large chunk of the Danger team to leave Microsoft. Danger is the team that actually built the Sidekick, and Roz Ho was siphoning off their resources into the Pink camp in order to make sure the latter could survive. By doing so, it seems like she's killed off both groups, which might be why Microsoft keeps denying that they're going to make phone hardware.

Channelweb's tipster sounds similar to the tipster last week that talked to MobileCrunch about management ineptitude and lousy business choices. To summarize, Roz Ho, Microsoft's "head of mobile experiences", seems to be making so many bad choices that naming the project after Pink, the angry singer, seems like one of her best choices.

If Microsoft somehow manages to push Pink out the door, CRN says that it won't even include a calendar app or an alarm clock app. That's a feature that if you saw was missing on a dumb phone, you'd politely hand it back to the salesman while asking him to show you something in a less shitty variety. Not only that, it won't ship with a mobile app marketplace—which makes sense, since it's also rumored that they're not really smartphones anyway.

The bottom line is that massive data outages might be just the kind of early warning users need to abandon the Sidekick and get on another device before the decision gets knocked out of your hands like the punchline to a standup's retort. [CRN]

An exasperated tipster who just spent some quality time on the phone with an equally exasperated T-Mobile rep told us what he was offered:

• I'm released from the contract if I want (Yeesh, of course I better be. I can't believe I had to ask).
• I can get a G1 for $129 (not sure if that's the normal contract renewal pricing or not; doesn't sound like a great deal to me).
• They also suggested Blackberries etc, but I didn't get the pricing (since those are design disasters compared to SK or iPhone).

So to break it down, your options are to accept about $20 off of a G1, which you, an avid Sidekick user, probably didn't want anyway, move onto a BlackBerry (?), or to leave. Sidekick users are a dedicated bunch—there's a good chance they came to T-Mobile just to use a particular Danger handset—so I wouldn't be surprised if people take that last offer pretty seriously.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see some kind of official announcement from T-Mobile regarding how they plan on dealing with their angry mass of Sidekick subscribers, but it'll be interesting to see how this shakes out: Remember, even though these people all bought their phones and service From T-Mo, and therefore expect to be helped by their carrier, the actual data loss was Danger's (read: Microsoft's) fault. It's already clear that T-Mobile' is going to bear the brunt of the angry mob, but aside from getting very sternly talked to by their carrier partners, is Microsoft going to get out of this scot-free? —Thanks, guy!

It's been more than two weeks without data for Sidekick users, and T-Mobile finally bit the bullet and announced that it probably isn't coming back. The quote:

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.

This is pretty crappy of T-Mobile and Danger, and while it's probably unfair to make this connection, doesn't give us any new confidence in Project Pink, developed by the remnants of Danger after Microsoft acquired it. (After all, Microsoft bought Danger specifically because of their software services. And now, it just goes kablooey?) Renowned Sidekick user and a-hole Perez Hilton, while normally hysteric about just about everything, has the right tone here:

To add insult to injury, the ONLY thing T-Mobile is offering their customers, whom they obviously don't value or respect, is one month of free data service.

That's shit!

One month of free data service (which is not the same thing as one month of free phone use) for SEVEN DAYS of heartache and no access to contacts????

That's fucked!!!!

Really, that's kind of putting it lightly. [T-Mobile via Boy Genius Report]

Roz Ho, Microsoft's head of mobile experiences was "clearly incompetent" in her handling of the project, and "was not humble enough" to listen to her ex-Danger employees, who could've told her what she was doing wrong. And my favorite maybe-true bit? The origins of the "Pink" moniker

she was listening to a song by Pink (the singer) when she decided she was just the person to go one-up the Sidekick.

The sourcing is odd and the story occasionally contradicts the report it claims to corroborate—how could Pink be a tool to goad the Windows Mobile 7 team into action if it was kept secret from them?—and while it's far from unbelievable that Pink, the project, could've been mishandled, or that Pink, the phones, could be kinda crappy, the conclusion that the project is dead just doesn't match what we know we know. [AppleInsider]

The source is anonymous, but sounds like someone who either worked for the project or somehow has a lot of insider knowledge of it. They say a good chunk of the Danger/Sidekick team that Microsoft purchased for their phone knowledge actually has been let go or left on their own, leaving "no braintrust that understands how to build a project."

What's even more interesting is that the tipster says the staffers on the team hate the phone, and feel like they're just being used to goad the Windows Mobile 7 team into stepping it up. Other details like the fact that the project might be 2 years behind schedule, that the smaller device's touchscreen is unusable and that their internal staffers are struggling to fix UI design work originally made by "an outside party" is troubling. [MobileCrunch]

How do we know this outage is serious business? Because it's a trending topic on Twitter right now, that's how.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, a Sidekick aficionado, is also on the warpath over this today, but in T-Mobile's defense we've learned from his frantic blogging that the carrier issued he (and others) bill credits ranging from $35 to three full months of data access.

The most recent update is an official response from T-Mobile, posted on Saturday, which reads like your standard customer service boilerplate:

"T-Mobile and Danger/Microsoft are urgently working to restore impacted services to Sidekick, and deliver them to you as quickly as possible. Following is a status update for our valued customers:

* We expect data services to begin gradually returning in the next couple of hours (Saturday evening)

* Web browsing capabilities should be first accessible first; additional functions such as IM, social networking applications and email will then follow.

While we anticipate a significant portion of data services to be restored by Monday, some richer data services may lag. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and appreciate your patience as we work hard with Danger/Microsoft to resolve this issue. We will continue to keep you updated as we have news to share. Thank you."

If you happen to have a Sidekick (I don't, sorry tweens!), why don't you let us know how awful your day has been thus far? [Phone News]

It's because Danger was all about cloud services for their phones, and Ina hears that they'll be a big part of what Microsoft's doing with phones overall. If Windows Mobile 7 is the core, as Mary Jo Foley has reported, the phones won't launch until WM7 does, at the very earliest. Either way, it's clearly somebody's busy over in Microsoftland. [Cnet]

This comes as a catch-up to the Sidekick 2009, which comes pre-packaged with free Facebook and Twitter apps. Why the Twitter app needs a monthly fee is a mystery to me, but maybe it's really spectacular. [Thanks, Matt!]

Available in the Download Catalog this afternoon, Sidekick Sync adds:

• real time push email
• attachment viewing
• configurable sync schedules.
• Exchange contact/calendar syncing

I guess the update is good for if you bought your Sidekick when you were just a college kid but then you got some big city internship and you feel kinda douhey because you're holding this teen bop handset that's incapable of pulling down your boss's sexual harassment as quickly as he sees fit and this guy competing for your promotion owns a BlackBerry but that feels so conformist and you never wanted to be conformist especially since your junior high art teacher said she saw something really special in you and you knew she said that to a lot of students but since you'd always felt special on your own but never told anyone and then she said you were special the whole scenario felt surprisingly genuine.

This afternoon, T-Mobile Sidekick LX '09 customers will find something new in the Download Catalog – the new Sidekick Sync application.

A highly-anticipated first for Sidekick, Sidekick Sync on the Sidekick LX '09 will support real time push email, attachment viewing, full sync capabilities, full read and respond functionality and configurable sync schedules. In addition to email, the application will sync with contacts from a corporate directory, along with full sync capabilities with an Exchange calendar and meeting/event reminders.

Sidekick Sync on the Sidekick LX '09 is available for $4.99/month. A Sidekick data plan is required to download the application.

Sidekick Sync was developed and built by Remoba, a leading developer of enterprise and consumer mobile applications, with full cooperation of Microsoft, Danger, and T-Mobile USA.

Today, my girlfriend broke up with me. She later came into the T-Mobile that I work at to return the Sidekick that I bought for her. I had to transfer her account to a new Iphone. She got the Iphone from her new boyfriend, who works across the street from me. FML

[FML]

The Price: $200 with two-year contract for existing customers, $250 for new customers (both after rebate)

The Verdict: It's nice! The flip-out screen, nicely-designed keys and generally usable interface may be attractive to people who've never used a Sidekick before, but the Sidekick LX is clearly aimed at people who are already familiar with the platform.

Although it's larger than the Sidekick 2008, the screen is bigger, the keyboard is better and the UI is improved. The home screen now has larger icons and more fluid animation, but is still so decidedly "Sidekick-like" that longtime users will have no problem adjusting.

The addition of GPS integrated with Microsoft's Live Search finally brings some kind of map/direction finding to the platform. Although the GPS works alright outdoors (indoors is iffy), the actual usage is awkward. You have to manually tell the phone to find your location, then open up Live Search and select "my location at 9:53 AM" to do anything with it. This is one step in the opposite direction of how we think GPS on phones should work. There's also plenty of privacy settings that control what can touch your location data, probably because the Sidekick is very popular with kids.

Its keyboard is also noticeably improved from the SK 2008. Each individual key is lower to the ground, but is easier to type on. All the other standard Sidekick keys (back menu, call, etc.) are where they should be. And that horizontal blue LED on the bottom of the screen that lights up when you get an incoming call is really cool looking.

What I don't like is how the mini USB charging port is now on the bottom right, compared to the top left on the Sidekick 2008, and how it gets in the way of usage while charging. The flip mechanism is also slightly worse, in that now you have to push up toward your face, instead of out away from you, in order to get the screen to open. Perhaps it's not so much "worse," but just "different". And the fact that you have to open up the battery plate to get to the microSD card is annoying.

That 3.2-megapixel camera is so-so for something you carry on you at all times, but it's not astounding, as the sample shots above show. T-Mobile's 3G connectivity is still T-Mobile's 3G connectivity—as in, it's not that great—but if you live in an area with coverage, it's better than NOT having 3G.

As for voice calls, the quality is fine, but I hear slightly too much of my own voice when having a conversation. Nothing you'd really be aware of unless you switched phones a lot.

Overall, Sharp did a pretty good job with the build quality other than the fact that they mucked up and placed a few things in weird places, and Microsoft's Danger did a good job further refining the Sidekick interface. If you were a fan of the Sidekick before, there's no big reason not to upgrade to the LX. But if you've never been interested in Sidekicks in the past, this definitely isn't going to lure you over. [Sidekick]

Improved keyboard, sturdy body

Who's going to turn down GPS and 3G, even if it doesn't work as well as it does on other phones

General UI improvements are welcome

3.2-megapixel camera is decent, but not great

Strange design decisions like placing the microSD card inside the shell and placing the charging port in the way of your hand

Social media services were a big focus for the Sidekick team as the worked on revamping the Sidekick this year. As a result, you'll see better integration of Facebook and Myspace in addition to Twitter. All these services have been integrated into the Sidekick UI to maintain the same look and feel as the other apps.

In addition to the new screen, the quad-band Sidekick LX 2009 has 3G data, a 3.2-megapixel camera that can record video (and upload it to Facebook/Myspace), GPS support with live search, web browser, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and microSD storage (1-gigabyte card included). The media player also supports streaming audio, as well as RTSP streaming video, and the 1250mAh battery means you can get between 3-6 hours of voice and 6-8 days of standby.

I got to play around with it briefly at CTIA, and in general, it feels and looks pretty solid as far as Sidekicks go. It's still pretty plasticky and un-sleek, but the keyboard feels nice and clicky, and the screen is gorgeous. The new, high-res, F-WVGA display allows for plenty of items to fit on the screen with great detail. As a result, little things, like the UI tracking new tweets from friends as a scrolling notifier up top works extremely well. Aside from the screen, I don't know that this brings anything new to the table for those not already sold on the Sidekick, but fans of the previous iterations will definitely want to give this one a look.

The Sidekick LX 2009 is available for presale now, and will be available on May 13 for $200 in a dark gray or maroon color.

Be the hub of your social circle with the latest T-Mobile® Sidekick® LX. Your fast-paced life needs a device that can keep you constantly connected - whether planning an impromptu BBQ, embarking on a career, or traveling this summer - the high-speed, 3G-enabled T-Mobile Sidekick LX will have the bases covered. The new Sidekick LX is the ultimate device for virtual socialites with built-in support for the top social networking applications including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, as well as GPS-enabled Live Search.
The Sidekick LX also offers the largest and sharpest screen to-date for a Sidekick device, which helps support the enhanced video capability - record and share easily with friends and family via upload to video Web sites, Bluetooth®, or MMS messaging. The refined LX boasts the thinnest design of the Sidekick family while maintaining the iconic swivel screen and full QWERTY keyboard. The phone is available in carbon and orchid finishes with moodlights running horizontally across the top of the screen.

Key features of the T-Mobile Sidekick LX include:

Integrated social networking application bundle includes Facebook, MySpace and Twitter

High-speed Web browsing with 3G support

Built-in GPS support with Live Search

3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash

Ability to record, play and share videos
o Share recorded videos via e-mail and upload videos to social networking sites
o Watch videos on YouTube via the web browser or on MySpace

Carbon or orchid finish

Music player with streaming audio and streaming RTSP video

3.2-inch F-WVGA screen with high-definition LCD technology with 854x480 resolution

Support for personal e-mail, SMS, MMS, instant messaging (IM)
o Built-in IM clients include AOL® Instant Messenger, Windows Live and Yahoo! ® Messenger

Iconic swivel design and full QWERTY keyboard (manufactured by Sharp)

Intuitive user interface with Quick Find to search across all applications

Network Address Book

Included 1GB microSD™ memory card

Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP supports stereo Bluetooth and Bluetooth file transfer to other Bluetooth devices including photo printers

Dimensions: 5.1 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches; 5.7 ounces

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE worldphone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)

Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA (AWS Band IV & Band I)

1250 mAh Lithium Ion battery

Battery: 3G - 3 hours talk time, 6 days standby; 2G - 5.5 hours talk time, 8 days standby

Software and services provided by Danger, a Microsoft subsidiary

Shortly following launch, T-Mobile plans to make available Exchange Active Sync support via the Sidekick
Download Catalog so customers can stay virtually connected to work

Availability
The T-Mobile Sidekick LX will be available for purchase for current customers during the pre-sale starting April 17 for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and mail-in-rebate.* The Sidekick LX will be available nationally May 13 at select T-Mobile retail stores and online at www.t-mobile.com.

That means three possible things: Nothing at all (we'll see the G2 or Sidekick or whatever over here), we're only gonna see a new BlackBerry, or least likely (but what we're hoping for), we're gonna see multiple new T-Mobile phones. Oh my, that would be nice. [Pocket Lint]

The list, leaked today to TMONews:

* "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. Sorry folks.. we'll keep you posted (a.k.a. G2)
* Sony Ericsson "CS8″ - June 24th (8mp camera? Is this the Android device they've been talking about?)
* Nokia 1661 (prepaid) - April 29th (We know, a week later than previously mentioned. But you know the wait will be SO worth it. No… really… it will be… )
* 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

Again, all tentative, but now you can start saving if something caught your eye above. [Phonedog TMO News - Thanks, Noah]

Not much new detail in this post, but from last time, here are the rumored specs:

Social Networking Suite of Apps
- Facebook
- MySpace w/ video upload
- Twitter
- YouTube Mobile Access via browser

GPS Location Based Search
- Turn by Turn Navigation
- Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps

Content Creation
- Blog publishing, editing, and management client
- Photobucket Upload and Management
- Video recorder and upload to MySpace/Photobucket

Communications
- Signature Sidekick IM/SMS/E-mail Experience
- Microsoft Outlook/Exchange synchronization

Hardware
- Large (3.2 inch WVGA) screen with sharp 854×480 resolution
- Thin design
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording
- Large QWERTY keyboard
- Expandable memory up to 8GB via MicroSD

Check out our previous Sidekick coverage here.

[Hiptop 3]

The specs listed in the photo are as follows:

Social Networking Suite of Apps
- Facebook
- MySpace w/ video upload
- Twitter
- YouTube Mobile Access via browser

GPS Location Based Search
- Turn by Turn Navigation
- Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps

Content Creation
- Blog publishing, editing, and management client
- Photobucket Upload and Management
- Video recorder and upload to MySpace/Photobucket

Communications
- Signature Sidekick IM/SMS/E-mail Experience
- Microsoft Outlook/Exchange synchronization

Hardware
- Large (3.2 inch WVGA) screen with sharp 854×480 resolution
- Thin design
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording
- Large QWERTY keyboard
- Expandable memory up to 8GB via MicroSD

It could be a real product, it could be simple market research or it could be nothing at all, but if it's true the 3G , GPS and YouTube mobile access upgrades will be welcomed by Sidekick fans with open arms. [Hiptop3]

According to the Boston Herald, T-Mobile will only help track the stolen phone (a Sidekick, snatched from a 16-year-old by an 18-year-old) if it's a "life or death situation", or if ordered to by a judge. Getting the SK back falls under neither of these two conditions, in this case, so police are hoping a letter from a city council member will sway T-Mobile in helping to track it down.

They'd better act soon, since the theft occured on November 20, and it's unlikely that that Sidekick's battery will hold out much longer for tracking purposes. [Boston Herald - Thanks Patrick!]

Above, two ladies demonstrate how best to hold your Sidekick if you want to get it stolen.

This has actually been the consistent beat on the drum for at least seven months, with Microsoft itself dropping hints that it wanted to combine Danger's consumer-friendly OS expertise with the Zune. You know what? It actually makes us pretty excited. A ZunePhone made by Danger might be the Microsoft smartphone we've been really waiting for. [CNBC]

T-Mo notes that scaling back will help keep things manageable while offering an opportunity for developers to learn. However, the plan is to open up over time: Android and Sidekick would be available, advertising will be allowed as will access to deeper hardware and software features. Still, many developers will undoubedly view this as an overly cautious approach that won't help it gain any ground on Apple in the foreseeable future. It may not be much, but rumor has it that the T-Mobile app store will go live with Java, RIM and Windows Mobile by the end of the year. [mocoNews via Electronista]

DALLAS —(Business Wire)— Aug. 8, 2008 Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), today announced the availability of the Samsung Messager(TM) (SCH-r450) to MetroPCS customers at authorized dealer locations and company-owned retail locations. The Samsung Messager sports a sleek horizontal slider-design and QWERTY keyboard, making it easy for users to travel light and stay in touch while on the go.

"The stylish horizontal slider of the Samsung Messager is easy to use," said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Telecommunications America. "The Samsung Messager's attractive layout and QWERTY keyboard is a great fit for people who love text messaging."

Available in black, the Messager is packed with a powerful feature set, including a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera, SMS, MMS, email and IM messaging capabilities(1), advanced voice recognition, Bluetooth(R) wireless technology and speakerphone for easy, hands-free operation. The Messager's MP3 player boasts a rich user interface, while the external micro SD slot provides the user with up to 2GB of memory support.

For more information on where to purchase the Samsung Messager, please visit metropcs.com or samsungwireless.com.

Key features of the Samsung Messager include:

— Horizontal Slider with QWERTY Keyboard

— Stereo Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology

— MP3 Player (microSD)

— 1.3 Megapixel Camera

— Messaging Services

— Advanced Voice Recognition

— Speakerphone

— Dimensions: 4.4" x 2.0" x 0.7"

— Display: 2.1" 262K TFT, 176X220 pixels

[Samsung]

The Price: $149 with two-year contract.

The Verdict: It's more features for less money. Not only is the Sidekick 2008 $50 cheaper than the $199 you'd currently pay for the Sidekick LX, it comes with more stuff. The best hardware improvement has to be the reduced size, and at 4.7 x 2.3 x 0.7 inches, it's as long as the iPhone, slightly narrower, but about twice as thick. The second most important feature on an SK is the keyboard, and remains pretty much the same as before: chicklety. If you liked previous iterations, you'll like this one.

The UI and inputs are definitely trademark Sidekick, with the standard trackball on the right for scrolling and button layout that's just about the same as the LX's. It's got video capture and video playback, which were added to the Sidekick LX in an automatic update. Also unique to the 2008 is the ability to custom-design your own external shells at sidekickshells.com. One for $9.99 or two for $14.99.

The Sidekick 2008 continues the tradition of nicely designed and intuitive apps, like email, instant messaging, picture messaging and video messaging. The Sidekick started out as a data communicator—something it still continues to do well—but now can be safely called just a "communicator" because of its more well-rounded features.

The call quality was very good—loud and clear with only minimal background noise—and thanks to its newly reduced size, speaking on it is much less like holding a plastic taco up to your ear. The battery is only 1030mAh compared to the LX's 1540mAh, which may partially explain the reduced size. The Sidekick has never been known to take great photos or video, but the video on the 2008 is decent enough for an MMS, and the photos are only slightly blurrier and darker than the iPhone's. Not fantastic, but manageable.

The most important bit of information that you want to know is if we'd recommend it to T-Mobile users. Definitely. If you're a current Sidekick owner and you're happy with the platform, you'll want to upgrade to this for its improved features and reduced size. If you're not a current Sidekick user but have always eyeballed the series, it's a good time to jump on.

Ooohh, skins! [cellphonesignal]