Obviously T-mobile is attempting to expand their customer base through Project Dark, and part of the approach is to entice customers who would normally be forced to prepay monthly dues as well as full retail for a device:

"Even More Plus" will give those who would otherwise qualify for FlexPay the option to finance a phone. [...] Our sources tell us that the phones will not be subsidized and so there won't be contracts for the devices, which means you pay the full retail price over the course of a set amount of time (up to 20 months is what we're told). Not bad - for a $500 device over that time is just $25/month, as an example.

The next step is offering the "Most Affordable Unlimited Rate Plans" in three flavors:

[U]nlimited voice, unlimited voice and text, and unlimited voice/text/data all priced at $40, $50 and $60, respectively.

All unconfirmed rumors, of course, but moves like this could definitely help T-mobile leap up from fourth place in the Great Battle of the Carriers.

Update: The folks at Boy Genius now have some screenshots showing the tiered unlimited plan and the FlexPay options.

[Boy Genius Report and Boy Genius Report]

All the employees who received the information were required to sign confidentiality agreements. Each sector has received it at different times, the bulk of them actually received it the 13th, after most of the information was already leaked (Although it's not entirely accurate…)

That said, the Project Dark is not any ONE thing..its a term for a company TURNAROUND; Last to First is what some like to say. It's an all inclusive "package" that includes blazing speeds, 3 times faster than anyone will have on the market for years. Phones people actually WANT, using top of the line models from the top 2 cellphone manufacturers in the world (Nokia #1, and Samsung #2). Hot software like Android. And European priced packages.

And all of this will make Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint's head spin when its released faster than anyone can have time to finishing reading any official press releases.

330 Million in new networks Verizon? Try nearly 10 billion.

First of all, assuming this email is real, I don't want—and I am guessing you don't want—any Nokia or Samsung handset. Second of all, I doubt that TMO of all companies, mr late to the game, can deliver speeds that fast, either. But suppose it's true. Then what's that "10 billion" number at the end for? Femtocells everywhere? Who knows! It's a rumor! You're not supposed to know yet!

But if anyone has any more information on TMO's project black, please drop me a line. We'd love to help you tell the world. [Nexus404]

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]

T-Mo News claims it's not a phone or a promotion, which suggests it might be some kind of coverage rollout—T-Mo certainly could use a more widespread network, since they've already got some sweet phones to take advantage of one. Apparently T-Mobile staff are being trained for an imminent release or rollout of Project Black starting this week, but again, we have no idea what this actually is (or if it even exists, really). Rumors have been bubbling from a couple different sources (Phone Arena and T-Mo News, mostly), so the rumor may have something real behind it, but we don't know much for sure yet. We'll keep you updated as soon as we figure out what this secret project actually is. [Electronista and T-Mo News]

Though as John said, this HSPA+ is a stopgap and may leave T-Mobile in the dust when the other carriers migrate to LTE, it's definitely the fastest speed around at the moment. On a personal note, it's good to see my hometown in the news for something other than Michael Vick, but having moved out west I can't test how accurate those numbers really are. Any Philadelphians want to bust out their T-Mobile handsets and see what HSPA+ can do? [Boy Genius Report]

Apparently, a new data plan from T-Mobile that includes visual voicemail also includes an updated "My Account" with new features and the ability to connect your G1 or MyTouch to T-Mobile hotspots. [AppPack /Thanks Matt!]

The touchscreen is an oddly-sized 1.61- x 2.64-inch capacitive display, though the handset does have a few hardware buttons on the bottom and sides. It's got a 3MP camera with video recording that apparently does a passable but not thrilling job, a microSD slot (under the battery, grah) and Samsung's TouchWiz UI that brings a few widgets (Facebook, weather) to the party. It comes in two colors, "Fire" and "Ice," though "Ice" is black for some reason (dangerous!). It'll be available sometime in July for $150 on T-Mobile. [T-Mobile, image from MobileCrunch]

The Morisson, if that's what we have here, is a QWERTY slider in the tradition of the G1, though judging by the bright styling, generously-size d-pad and smooth lines, it seems to be oriented toward a broader audience than its blocky T-Mobile stablemate. In fact, the Morrison would sooner pass as a messaging-centric feature phone than a full-fledged smartphone. Granted, this is a spy pic; it could just as well be either (or neither) of those things.

But think about the possibility for a minute: Android is said to be relatively scalable, it's free, and it would doubtlessly blow the half-baked proprietary OSes on the likes of the Pantech Duo out of the water. I'd say a cheap Android phone is overdue; we'll just have to see if that's what Motorola has in mind. [Mini-suit via Phandroid]

Brodman went on to say that "We'll have multiple new Android devices-from multiple partners-this year." So it is still up in the air whether or not the second phone will be manufactured by HTC, or a new partner like Motorola or Samsung. Still, we are putting our bets on the G2. [mocoNews]

UPDATE: T-Mobile has doubly-confirmed the news saying: "T-Mobile is planning to offer the follow-on device to the T-Mobile G1 early this summer."

Indeed, while they felt that the software scored well in major categories like ease of use, routing, map quality and accuracy, the value factor struck a major blow to the final verdict. After all, it's hard to justify spending $10 a month, $99 a year or $249 for four years on a service for your phone when quality, dedicated GPS devices can be had for under $200. Still, if portability is a major issue for you, KickingTires is calling the Android TeleNav "the best turn-by-turn navigation system for a mobile phone available to date." And it will be available on more and more Android devices in the near future. [Kicking Tires]

T-Mobile USA is excited to offer its T-Mobile G1 customers new software updates, including Android 1.5. Starting at the end of next week, T-Mobile USA will begin rolling out Android 1.5 to T-Mobile G1 customers. The over-the-air update, which all G1 customers should receive by the end of May, will provide customers with many new feature enhancements and updates, such as:
· An on screen full QWERTY keyboard.
· Video record and playback capabilities.
· Easy uploading of photos to Picasa and videos to YouTube.

Additional details on Android 1.5 can be found at the T-Mobile G1 forum at http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/?category.id=Android or via the Android site:http://www.android.com/releases/.

The roadmap also lists the release dates of various phones, including the Sony Ericsson CS8 and CS5, Samsung t469 and t549, Rhodium, and Dash 3G.

Again, keep in mind that this is all tentative, and there is no information about what phones will be able to take advantage of visual voicemail and how much it will cost. Still, if you were interested in anything on this list, it's worth keeping these dates in mind. [TmoNews]

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.

What this means is that means that listed apps can be defined as carrier specific, by Google. A tethering app that violates T-Mobile's ToS will be either invisible or inaccessible to US users, while available to someone on a tethering-friendly network elsewhere. This has the effect of creating carrier-specific App Markets, and an uneven Android experience from company to company.

Of course, you can still install whatever apps you want if you're willing to get your hands a little dirty, but removing a category of app from the Marketplace will make it effectively off limits for most. [Android Community]

My Account is a simple, obvious app, but one that could only ever come from the carrier itself. Luckily, T-Mobile had the sense and/or generosity to go ahead and make it, giving G1 owners full control over their T-Mo accounts through their handset. The app doesn't provide much information that you couldn't already access on the company's website, but this app makes it pretty and puts it where it should be: on the handset. My Account is available for free in the Android Marketplace. [AndroidandMe]

Engadget noticed this as well, and notes that the T-Mobile logo on this particular handset is a uniquely US one. While it is true that the American T-Mobile logo has one less dot left of the T than in the rest of the world, this isn't definitive evidence. That this handset is a complimentary successor to the G1, which T-Mobile exclusively carries, is as strong an indicator as any that the Magic will probably eventually show up on Ole' Magenta (people should call them this, by the way). For T-Mobile not to release this as their G2 would be more surprising than anything else. The thing we're really waiting for is us a release date—by the dictates of T-Mobile or not—and this doesn't really help us much there. —Thanks, robkonz!

T-Mo news also claims that the firmware, version RC33, will allow long-click saving for images and files, as well as manual update checks. Naturally there will be quite a few bugfixes as well, but T-Mobile hasn't published full release notes yet.

An administrator at the official T-Mobile forums has confirmed the release, but gives a slightly different rollout schedule than our tipster, an employee at the company. The tipster laid out a February 5th-15th rollout, whereas the forum admin claims that updates are seeding to users right now, and will complete in about two weeks. Either way, Google Voice Search for the iPhone is fantastic, so this is a nice treat for Android users. [T-Mo Official Forums, T-Mo News —Thanks, DJ!]

Update: Confirmed, the over-the-air update will be rolling out to customers this week in a staggered release, and will continue over the span of the next two weeks.

For those keeping track, that is a little over three weeks before the confirmed, nationwide release in February (most likely the 11th). [Berry Reporter via IntoMobile]