T-Mobile has finally offered up some details and images of its upcoming Android-powered Sidekick 4G smartphone &8212' and at first glance, it appears the carrier may have another teen hit on its hands when it lands this spring.
As we reported previously, T-Mobile tapped Samsung to revive the Sidekick brand (previous models were built by Sharp). The new Sidekick wona4a4t feature the iconic rotating screens from its predecessors &8212' instead, it has a a4Apop-tilta4 hinge that raises the screen up at an angle to reveal its hardware keyboard. The phone will also be the first Sidekick to sport a touchscreen (at 3.5 inches).
Clearly, T-Mobile is aiming to make the Sidekick 4G more than just a messaging phone like the original Sidekick line. It will run Android 2.2 and sport a 1 gigahertz processor. Camera-wise, it has a 3-megapixel shooter in the rear as well as a front-facing camera for video conferencing (Qik video chat is built-in). The phone will also sport a customized user interface to make it stand out from the many Android competitors on the market. Since ita4a4s a Samsung phone, the Sidekick 4G also has access to Samsunga4a4s Media Hub, which allows users to rent or purchase movies and TV episodes.
Despite all of the improvements, T-Mobile hasna4a4t forgotten the Sidekicka4a4s messaging roots: the phone will sport a Group Text application that will allow users to easily manage conversations. In addition, a Cloud Text application will allow Sidekick 4G owners to text from their computers and have those conversations synced with their phone.
The phone will run on T-Mobilea4a4s HSPA+ 4G network with theoretical speeds up to 21 megabits per second. In real-world usage those speeds will be significantly slower, but still noticeably faster than typical 3G phones.
As I wrote previously, the resurrection of the Sidekick came as a surprise. Danger, the company that created the original Sidekick, was acquired by Microsoft in 2008 a4a4 but the only fruits of that union were the failed Kin phones. (Danger called its early smartphones a4AHiptops,a4 but T-Mobile controls the a4ASidekicka4 trademark for smartphones.) T-Mobile has a better chance at finding success with a new Sidekick with the combination of fast 4G speeds and Android.
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Companies: Danger, Samsung, T Mobile
Companies: Danger, Samsung, T Mobile
Devindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.
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