Here is the LX alongside assorted phones competing for its audience: iPhone, Palm Centro and BlackBerry Curve: As you browsed through these Sizemodo shots, you probably noticed that there was no comparison with an older Sidekick. Unfortunately I don't have one here, but I will tell you that, measurement wise, the LX is only 2/10 of an inch slimmer than the Sidekick 3. It is also slightly lighter:

Sidekick LX: 5.1 x 2.36 x 0.7 in. - 5.7 oz.
Sidekick 3: 5.1 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. - 7 oz.

The Slide, built by Motorola, is actually the smallest Sidekick. We'll do a Slide vs. LX Sizemodo when it ships on November 7. Those shots will be much more interesting. [T-Mobile]

Sidekick 3 and Sidekick iD users will be able to grab it, and the Sidekick Slide (a.k.a. Zante) will get this installed by default. – Jason Chen

T-Mobile FAQ Page [T-Mobile via Boy Genius Report via Crunchgear]

Once your SK3 is brought up to speed with Release 3.4, you'll have access to myFaves, an improved "Active" address book, a text message character counter, and the ability to save photo attachments from emails onto your SK3 photo album. The automatic update is rolling out starting today, but will be gradually deployed over a month, so don't worry if you haven't gotten it yet.

– Jason Chen

In a few hours, T-Mobile will officially announce the latest addition to the Sidekick line up. We wanted you to be the first to have the details...The T-Mobile Sidekick 3, D-Wade Edition, will be available at select T-Mobile retail locations, select dealers, and online at www.t-mobile.com beginning Feb. 21.

Giz: Thanks for talking to us today. Why did you decide to go with white and gold rather than red to represent the Miami Heat?

D.W.: Yeah, I thought it was pretty easy. Going off the championship round we had last year all white and then with the championship and the gold. I thought it would be a nice look, something different.

Giz: What other factors played into the unique design?

D.W.: I wanted to find a way to put my name and stuff on it and not be too much. I got the gold threes around on the front part and the screen part. I got my name and my silhouette of myself on the back of the screen, but the most important thing to me was probably, if you pick one up and see the back, it is different, it is more like a basketball kind of material.

Giz: Did you decide on the synthetic basketball from the first half of the season, or the real leather basketball?

D.W.: It does kind of look like real leather. It's a little different than the real leather; it's not real leather, per se. It's not synthetic like the basketballs we played with. It's a little different. It just gives comfort. It just gives a different look.

Giz: Do you ever get sick of the basketball texture? Would you prefer something different like maybe ... a tennis-ball, or raquetball grip?

D.W.: Nah. I stick with what I know.

Giz: So what is your preferred method of communication? Text messaging, calling or e-mail?

D.W.: Actually one of my teammates turned me onto the Sidekick. I've been using it every chance I can get, I don't talk on the phone much. You can ask anybody—I'm always e-mailing and instant messaging. It's a huge thing now with younger people. We instant message a lot, it is just new means of communication. We instant message all the time. It is always in my hand. It's always in my Sidekick holder—it is a part of me.

Giz: Would you ever consider making a special edition Dwyane Wade Blackberry to appeal to the business folks?

D.W.: You know what, haven't got there yet. It is a good idea, though.

Giz: Besides the Sidekick, what are some of your other can't-live-without gadgets?

D.W.: Can't live without gadgets? I'm not really a big gadget guy. Besides the Sidekick, the only other thing I travel with ... got to have my laptop, got to have my iPod. Besides that, that's it.

Giz: Our readers need to know: are you a Mac or PC guy?

D.W.: Neither. I'm a Sony guy.

Giz: What kind of plans do you have for future D-Wade-branded consumer electronics?

D.W.: Right now this is the first thing. It is going to be great. I think a lot of people are getting a buzz already about it. A lot of people have been hitting me up: '"Yo, I heard you have an SK3 coming out." A lot of people are excited because, you know, it's a Sidekick. It's a very hip thing to have. A lot of people, of course, are asking for it. I can't wait for it to come out.

==

So, what did we learn from one Mr. Dwyane Wade? Well, he likes to bling out a phone. He likes his basketball number, three. Unfortunately, he isn't releasing a special edition Blackberry. The man is just like me when it comes to gadgets. All I need is my phone, laptop and iPod to be happy. –Travis Hudson

It has the innards of the stock Sidekick 3, but D-Wade has chosen a swank white, tan and gold exterior with a special basketball-textured back for easy gripping. Just don't slam-dunk it, D-Wade. No pricing information was available, but this looks like it would command a sizable premium over an ordinary Sidekick 3.

It's got back, too. Take a jump shot for a gander at its basketball-like dorsal side:

It's certainly not for those who favor understated elegance. – Charlie White

The D-Wade Limited Edition Sidekick 3 [Hiptop 3]

iBored [mrpunk2u - THanks Matt!]

No word on when it's hitting or anything else about it though, despite our best efforts to get some T-Mobile verbiage, as their spokesperson apparently doesn't take their slogan of "talk it up" to heart. All they'd offer is that "T-Mobile doesn't comment on rumors and doesn't pre-announce products." Is it really possible to pre-announce a product? I mean, once it's out there it's announced, no? – Matt Buchanan

FCC Approves Stripped-Down Sidekick [Phone Scoop]

Monaco Sidekick 3 Cradle [Hiptop3]

Don't fret, pre-existing SK3 owners, you can still send in your phone to get colorized for a fee of $99. I'm going to be brutally honest, this is pretty damn awesome. Good job, ColorWare. So, uh, can I get a hot pink and brown SK3 now, or what? – Travis Hudson

ColorWare PC

LRG Limited Edition Sidekick 3 [Via EngadgetMobile]

eBay Auction [Via PhoneLaunch]

Now, we're off to load up our SK3 with pictures sounds of Paris taken from screen-caps of One Night in Paris. – Jason Chen

Custom Backgrounds on your SK3 [Hiptop3 - Thanks Bryon!]

We'll open the floodgates with Nick Denton's short, but precise review of the Sidekick 3.

Okay, so I've been using the Sidekick 3 for about a week now. Here's the good and the bad.
• web access is usable finally
• ability to add storage useful, if only for carrying around files and music
• phone slightly lighter
• um, that's about it
Now, the bad...
• still a storage limit of 100 text messages on the device, so you're still constantly deleting old messages in order to make space for new ones — an idiotic limit, given the additional storage available
• max of 2,000 contacts — which makes for sync issues with Outlook — Sidekick doesn't download all contacts, and then tries to write over Outlook
• power consumption definitely heavier — phone, after a full night's charge, lasts me till about midnight — old one used to go to morning of the second day.
• flip screen catches — action isn't as smooth as with Sidekick II
• now takes an extra click to get to AIM — very annoying — menus ought to be customizable

First the good: 1. It seems faster, probably because the camera pictures can be stored on the minisd card. 2. The camera is faster, with high resolution. It does seem a little grainy thoguh. I'm not sure I've only had it a week, and I'm still learning. 3. The funtion buttons are less likely to be hit accidently. 4. Clicking on an address in the address book brings up a mobile mapquest map. But it doesn't provide a link to get directions.

Now the bad:
1. The keys are like chicklets. Where as before I was able to nail each key with my finger nail, now they keep sliding off. May be a lack of pratice.
2. The trackball doesn't have as much feed back as the scrollwheel.
3. Applications have to be re-downloaded, what's worse is not all of the applications are aviable. Terminal client isn't even in the catalog. Further more the ring tones don't carry over. Not sure if there will be a fee to re-download the apps and ringtones a user already purchased for the sk2.

The ugly, these may not be t-mobile/dangers fault:
1. Livejournal accounts seem to be inaccessible. The browser is very quick to say that it couldn't load the page. Its like it's not even trying hmmm.
2. This isn't the sidekicks fault but it is worth mentioning. The great tech blog gizmodo doesn't even show up properly on the sidekick! Ever since the new layout it has only shown up as mostly white space. And most of the gawker media sites don't run well on a protable devie with javascript on. Come on guys you have a way of testing this, you have a sidekick!
3. While you're at it, smack your sistein-in-law-blog the comsumerist for how their website looks on a side kick. The darkgrey background has only the slightest contrast with the black text. I've been using googles page for portable devices to read consumerist and gizmodo.
http://www.google.com/gwt/n
-Brian (sidekick email)

We went. We sweated. We didn't get a free SK3.