![]() Pricing and availability are a little murky at this point, but we can expect it "later this spring" in your choice of black or "pearl magenta." Follow the break for the full press release. The Android 2.2-based unit has a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 3 megapixel primary cam, and a pretty fierce-looking user interface (dare we say a tad Kin-like?) that comes loaded with a couple Samsung staples - Samsung Media Hub, notably - along with Qik video calling, DriveSmart texting-while-driving lockout functionality, and Sidekick Group Text and Cloud Text, which together form some manner of cross-platform messaging tool. Though it lacks a swiveling display, T-Mobile is quick to note that the phone's got a "pop-tilt" mechanism that should still be pretty unique in the market - and this is the first Sidekick with a touchscreen (3.5 inch WVGA, to be exact). Of course, the carrier's been saying for a couple months now that it'd be relaunching Sidekick on Android, but they're making the device very official today with the unveiling of the Samsung-sourced Sidekick 4G. Two key details that were not announced today were availability date and pricing, but we do know that the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G is expected to ship this spring and will be available in two colors: matte black and pearl magenta.Sure, Danger's servers are going away, but the Sidekick brand belongs to T-Mobile - and that particular component of the teen-friendly smartphone ecosystem pioneer isn't going anywhere. Other highlights include a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera, a jump key for easy multitasking, and T-Mobile's DriveSmart app, which will automatically send a customized message alerting any callers or contacts sending you a message that you are currently driving and will respond when it's safe. Like Samsung's Galaxy S series, the Sidekick 4G is also compatible with Samsung's Media Hub video store, so you can rent and buy movies right from your phone. There's also no shortage of entertainment, as the handset features a Media Room where you can find and organize all your music, videos, and movies, as well as apps like Slacker Radio, YouTube, and T-Mobile TV. The Sidekick 4G will ship running Android 2.2 Froyo and along with the standard Google services, it will come preloaded with the Facebook and Twitter apps and the Qik video chat client (video calls can be made over Wi-Fi or the cellular network). ![]() Meanwhile, Cloud Text is a Web app that allows you to send and receive text messages from the comfort of your computer, so you don't always have to be tied to your phone.Īnother step in evolving the Sidekick brand was moving the smartphone to the Android operating system. You can also share your location and images within the group. Group Text lets you send text messages to a group of people and allows you to reply all, as well as save and manage groups for future communication. First, it enhanced the messaging capabilities of the smartphone by adding Group Text and Cloud Text features. Hardware aside, the Sidekick 4G was really more about taking the product to the next level, and T-Mobile approached that in a couple of ways. The Sidekick 4G is also 4G capable and can hit theoretical download speeds of 21Mbps, which puts it on par with the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and potentially faster than T-Mobile's other 4G smartphones, the T-Mobile G2 and MyTouch 4G. Manufactured by Samsung instead of Sharp this time around, the smartphone is the first Sidekick to have a touch screen (a 3.5-inch WVGA touch screen, to be exact) with a spring-loaded hinge, a front-facing VGA camera for video calls, and a 1GHz Hummingbird processor. However, don't think the Sidekick 4G is just a rehash of the previous design. ![]() ![]() You get the five-row keyboard and even the navigation buttons are still located on the corners of the phone. Right off the bat, you'll notice that the design doesn't stray far from its roots. T-Mobile dished out fresh details about the upcoming Sidekick 4G this evening, and the smartphone mixes a bit of the old with the new to offer something that's both familiar to Sidekick fans and modern enough to keep it relevant in today's competitive smartphone market. The T-Mobile Sidekick as we once knew it may be gone forever, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the franchise.
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