We don’t think there will be too many tears shed over this news, but T-Mobile today announced that it will be halting sales of both the Sidekick LX and Sidekick 2008 as of tomorrow, July 2nd (we called it.) There’s no bug, defect or data loss SNAFU to blame; just the cold realization that there’s no room for such a product in a smartphone obsessed nation. Here’s how T-Mobile is spinning it.

As T-Mobile looks to further innovate and raise the bar for the next iteration of the T-Mobile Sidekick, as of July 2, the Sidekick LX and Sidekick 2008 will no longer be available through T-Mobile, including retail stores, care, telesales and online. While we work on the next chapter of our storied Sidekick franchise, T-Mobile will continue to provide our loyal Sidekick customers with product service and support. Stay tuned for exciting updates in the months ahead, which we expect will provide customers with a new and fresh experience.

Two Microsoft feature phones killed off in two days? Not looking too good for the Redmond Boys, now is it? Let’s hope Windows Phone 7 will step up to the plate and knock one out of the park.

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Dell might not currently be putting its best foot forward when it comes to smartphones, but man does it ever look to have plans when it comes to Windows Phone 7 and Android. Engadget was sent some slides of the Texas company’s Lightning, Flash and Thunder and do they ever strike our fancy. Just like nature, let’s start off with some Lightning. Running WP7, it is a vertical QWERTY slider with a 4.1″ WVGA AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, 802.11b/g/n, 8GB microSD card, 1GB ROM / 512MB RAM and 1GHz processor. Network-wise, the Lighting will be able to run on both AT&T and T-Mobile’s 3G networks with downlink speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, although unfortunately you’re going to have to choose one or the other. Then there’s the Thunder. Equipped with Android 2.1 Eclair and Dell’s social medial-friendly “Stage” UI overlay, its specs closely mirror the Lightning’s except in lieu of a full-QWERTY keypad it has an 8 megapixel camera. Throw in support for Flash 10.1 and a Hulu app and it looks like Dell has a real winner on its hands. Then again, who knows what the competition will come out with by the time it’s released in Q4 on various HSDPA networks like AT&T. Next up is the Flash. Featuring Android 2.2 “Froyo” with Stage UI, it is going to be positioned as a mid-range smartphone upon its release in 2011. It has a 3.5″ WVGA touchscreen display, a feature-packed 5 megapixel camera, support for microSD cards up to 64GB, Wi-Fi, TV-out, Bluetooth 3.0, 512MB ROM / RAM, AT&T-friendly tri-band HSPA that peaks at 14.4Mbps down all powered by an 800MHz processor. Finally there’s the Smoke. Another Froyo device and the most affordable of the bunch, the stretched-out Smoke has a 2.8″ QVGA display (likely a typo on Dell’s part), QWERTY keypad, 800MHz processor, 5 megapixel shooter, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 14.4Mbps HSDPA and sports dual-microphones

Doesn’t the future look lovely? You can find a few of the pics after the break.

Read – Flash

Read – Lightning

Read – Thunder

Read – Smoke

Of the two Project Pink phones that were leaked last September, the Turtle, with its oval shape and bubble keyboard, seems be the first Pink handset to receive FCC approval. Being a Microsoft/Danger-designed phone and the presumed Sidekick replacement, it is expected that Sharp, manufacturer of the Sidekick line, is also the manufacturer of the Project Pink phones. A quick search of the FCC’s Authorized Equipment database reveals that Sharp received approval for a CDMA handset whose FCC label rendering matches the leaked Project Pink Turtle images to a tee. With heavyweights like the WSJ and CNET chiming in on Project Pink  and corroborating evidence like this FCC document being uncovered, the official unveiling of these upcoming teenybopper “youthful oriented” phones is more than likely right around the corner.

[Via wmpoweruser and Zune Boards]

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The Wall Street Journal has chimed in and offered their inside information on the Windows Mobile and Project Pink rumors that have been circulating recently. Though it lacks the details of the earlier leaks, the Wall Street Journal confirms that Microsoft will publicly announce Windows Mobile 7 at MWC 2010 and are flying out Steve Ballmer to head up the show. As rumored, the latest generation of Microsoft’s mobile platform is expected to radically change the look and feel of Windows Mobile bringing a whole new Zune-like UI to this currently lackluster OS. Project pink was also confirmed by the WSJ and, as rumored, is a new series of handsets based upon Danger’s Sidekick line of mobile phones. The Project Pink phones are said to be social networking powerhouses which will appeal to a teen-aged audience. Though not expected to be announced at MWC 2010, the “Pink” handsets are slated for a spring launch on both Verizon Wireless and Vodafone.

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In one fell swoop, CNET’s Ina Fried has apparently put an end to all the rumors regarding Windows Mobile 7 and those Project Pink phones. According to Fried, Mobile World Congress 2010 may herald a new beginning for Microsoft as it attempts to win back the smartphone market with the unveiling of Windows Mobile 7. Shortly after Windows Mobile 7′s official debut, Microsoft is expected to provide developers who attend the at the Mix10 Conference in March with information necessary to begin development for Windows Mobile 7. Though an official launch date has not been determined, Microsoft is aiming to finalize the code for Windows Mobile 7 by Summer 2010 with the intent of launching devices in the latter half of the year. As a side project separate from Windows Mobile 7, Microsoft will leverage the technology and talent of Microsoft-owned Danger by developing a new line of consumer phones that will form the foundation for the next generation Sidekick. These new “Sidekicks” will be powered by Windows Mobile and will integrate with Zune and other Microsoft services. They have already been pictured and will most likely not be a mobile phone version of the Zune HD that everyone was gossiping about last year. These Project Pink devices are expected to debut later this year ahead of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 offerings. So it might make sense T-Mobile is looking to can the existing device line…

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The information comes from a new tipster so we haven’t independently confirmed it. With that said, we have been told that with the rumored T-Mobile myTouch Slide coming up, T-Mobile will slowly be phasing out all Sidekick sales. Whether this means the Sidekick line will permanently disappear remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t put past Danger/Microsoft to replace them with the infamous ”Project Pink” devices.

“T-Mobile is pleased to announce that Sidekick sales have resumed. New pricing for the Sidekick LX 2009 will be $149.99 with a two-year contract and the Sidekick 2008 will be $49.99 with a two-year contract.”

But after everything that happened, and heck, all the new hotness available, is anyone going to be picking up a Sidekick anytime soon?

These past two weeks have been one hell of an emotional roller coaster for Sidekick users, but it looks as if all isn’t lost as Roz Ho, Corporate Vice President of Premium Mobile Experiences for Microsoft posted this message on T-Mobile’s Sidekick forum:

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.

So just what was the cause of this who debacle? Oh you know, just another one of those “system failures” caused by a mischievous data gnome that triggered a “data loss in the core database and the back-up.” Oh well, it happens. At least you’re likely to get getting your data, one months free service and a $100 gift card for the inconvenience. Or maybe not the last two parts?

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There’s not too much to say so we’ll let T-Mobile do the talking…

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.

If you make your way onto T-Mobile’s website, you might end up shedding a single tear for what you find in the Sidekick section — they’re all labeled temporarily out of stock. T-Mobile is reportedly stopping the sales of Sidekick online and in some retail stores. We really can’t blame them after the massive outage that the Danger servers had followed by permanent loss of user data. We’re not sure if or when the Sidekick will be available again, but drastic times call for drastic measures. The last thing T-Mobile needs is more customers demanding refunds or trying to terminate contracts after losing valuable info on their phones. Is anyone shattered by this news, or are you feeling indifferent?

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Sorry to be the bearers of bad news for T-Mobile Sidekick customers that are still without data after nearly two weeks, but it appears that you’ve got little to no chance of ever getting any information you had stored on Danger’s servers back. Said T-Mobile today:

“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.”

Ouch. Can someone please check that Perez Hilton hasn’t had a heart attack? Just to clarify, there is a difference between no data access, which is now restored, and device data on handset. Because of this, T-Mobile urges you not to turn off your Sidekick or let its battery die.

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In case you’ve not heard by now, T-Mobile Sidekick users have been trying to live a normal life this weekend while suffering from the ill effects of what surely has to be the be all and end of all of mobile data outages. As it stands, it appears that every single Sidekick user across the country is unable to use any services that pass through Danger’s servers meaning the only thing they’re currently able to do is make calls and send text. Everything from email, IM and, perhaps worst of all, contacts are unavailable. Yesterday T-Mobile promised that it would have services up and running by late evening, but this obviously did not happen which is why our inboxes are being flooded by the suffering. We’re still waiting on an update from T-Mobile on this matter, but rest assured that we’ll let you know what’s going on just as soon as we hear.

Thanks to everyone that sent this in!

Microsoft must be shitting bricks by now, because Gizmodo clearly has befriended someone very high up within the company. Yesterday they brought us information about the Courier tablet and now they’ve (temporarily) moved on to two handsets that represent the fruits of labor of Microsoft’s project Pink. If the Turtle and Pure don’t scream high end to you, good job; you’re amongst the most observant people on this planet. You see, Pink is all about assisting Microsoft establish a strangle hold on the very same market that Danger (a recent Microsoft acquisition) is going after with its Sidekick. And by that we mean pretty much everyone who wants a phone that can do more than make calls, has quite a lot of social media integration but doesn’t carry the costs or “un-hip” stigma that many smartphones possess. Having said that, it really isn’t clear what Microsoft is going to put into Pink handsets, but all rumors seem to point to them snuggling up fairly close to the Zune family of products. Hit the jump for a few more pics.

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Okay, so get a load of this. Apparently (please note the emphasis) a former employee of Globalive aka Global Wireless, the next big Canadian wireless provider that is building a UMTS / HSPA network with service planned for all provinces and territories excluding Québec, recently got canned for “poor performance in marketing”. This of course led to him logging on to HoFo and leaking everything about the carrier’s plans except what the CEO ate for breakfast. There is tons of stuff to cover and the slides are pretty grainy at best, so we’ve taken the time to write it all out for our Canadian friends. Now hit the jump and prepare to mess yourself because if even half of this stuff is true, the Canadian wireless landscape is about to make a serious shift for the better starting in Q4. Just one question — why no BlackBerry love?

Thanks, “Ex-Global Wireless Employee”!

14 Handsets

• Sony Ericsson TM506
  • 7.2Mbps HSDPA clamshell. $29.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $199.99 monthly / pre-paid. Available in green, silver and red.
• Nokia 5330 XpressMusic
  • 384Kbps UMTS candybar. $59.99 on 24-month, $109.99 on 12-month and $207.79 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black and red.
• Nokia 5730 XpressMusic.
  • 3.6Mbps HSDPA candybar. $49.99 on 24-month, $99.99 on 12-month and $179.99 monthly / pre-paid. Available in black, pink, blue and red.
• Nokia 6070 Classic
  • 10Mbps HSDPA candybar with 5 megapixel camera. Pricing is unknown. Available in silver and black.
• Sidekick LX 2009
  • Radio information is unknown, though we’d wager 3.6Mbps HSDPA. Pricing is unknown and you can have it in any color you like so long as it’s black.
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
  • 7.2Mbps HSDPA Window Mobile 6.1-powered slider to be billed as the flagship device of globalWireless. $149.99 on 24-month, $249.99 on 12-month and $449.99 monthly / pre-paid. Look for it in black.
• Global (HTC) G1
  • Same thing as the HTC Dream and the T-Mobile G1 including the 7.2Mbps HSDPA radio. $129.9 on 24-month, $229.99 on 12-month and $429.99 monthly / pre-paid. Black only.
• Global (HTC) M1
  • Same thing as the HTC Magic aka T-Mobile G2. Pricing is unknown, though we do know it feature 7.2Mbps HSDPA and will be offered in white only.

Airtime Rates

• $29.99 – 350 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming
• $39.99 – 650 minutes, unlimited e/w, unlimited incoming
• $59.99 – Unlimited minutes and incoming.

Voice Add-Ons

• $5 – Unlimited nights at 5PM
• $8 – Unlimited mornings until 9am
• $15 – Unlimited calls to the US

Included Services for Monthly Plans

• Unlimited SMS (Canada and USA), Voice Mail, Caller ID, Name Display, MissedCall, Call Waiting, Call Conferencing and Call Forwarding

Optional Services

• $4 – 500 international SMS
• $7 – Unlimited international SMS
• $5 – Video Mail

International Calling

• $5 – 100 minutes to Asia
• $10 – 250 minutes to Asia
• $5 – 100 minutes to Philippines
• $10 – 300 minutes to Philippines
• $5 – 200 minutes to Eastern Europe
• $10 – 350 minutes to Eastern Europe

US Roaming (T-Mobile)

• $0.19 per minute without plan
• $0.05 per SMS without plan
• $0.40 per MB of data without plan

US Roaming Plans (T-Mobile)

• $15 – 75 minutes
• $25 – 200 minutes
• $40 – 650 minutes
• $10 – 250 SMS
• $19.99 – 50MB of data
• $29.99 – 250MB of data
• $59.99 – 1.5GB of data

Data Access Rates

• $10 – Unlimited email (20MB in reality), IM and “communities” (social media sites?)
• $23 – 2.5GB data and unlimited email
• $40 – Unlimited, plain and simple

Data Add-Ons

• $8 – Unlimited browsing
• $5 – Enables tethering
• $10 – “100MB of global remote mobile storage”

SIM Cards

• $0 on 12 and 24-month plan
• $19.99 on 1-month contract
• $29.99 outright
• Will only work on a globalWireless handset

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Not happy to let the T-Mobile Sidekick be the only device to keep its name, T-Mobile has, as you all know, released the update to the Sidekick LX named… the Sidekick LX. Similarities don’t end there, however. We’ve covered the device a little bit but we’ve now got a unit of our own and in addition to some unboxing photos, here are some of our continued first impressions:

The screen is possibly the best screen we’ve seen on a mobile device. RIM really nailed it with the Bold and 8900 but we think the ‘kick take it one level further. Anyone who has used a Sidekick before will obviously be right at home. The main navigation buttons like Jump, Back, Menu, Cancel are all in the same positions and the trackball makes navigating really simple. What about the keyboard? Any real ninja (not you fake ninjas) will know that the Sidekick holds the title for best mobile QWERTY. Ever. It’s not debatable and you will be banned for making a comment that says otherwise. So how is the LX’s keyboard? Fan-friggin-tastic! Really, really awesome. The thinness of the device is much appreciated nowadays but we really wish they’d step it up in the application department. Apple’s App Store approval process makes T-Mobile’s Catalog approval system look uncivilized and down right stupid at best, plus, it’s not like there are any great tools to develop applications with either on the Sidekick. At the end of the day it’s about the OS and we’re not sure Danger’s OS cuts it.

As far as the social aspect of the device, there’s still some major idiot decisions all around. First off, the 6MB mailbox. Do you even want anyone to at least try and take this seriously? It seems like you do. You added Exchange support finally. 6MB though? Get real. The browser is still pretty horrid and with no other 3rd party options, you’re out of luck. As usual, the Sidekick holds the crown for instant messaging. Yes, it does. Now with photo support (something that should have been added long ago), too. MySpace on the Sidekick is crack (if you uh, still use MySpace), but we need some time to dig into the new Twitter app and Facebook app.

All in all, the key phrase for the last two years for the entire industry (minus a very, very select few exceptions) has been evolutionary and not revolutionary. In a world where even Google is having trouble battling the BlackBerry, Apple and Nokia champs, the Sidekick brand (or Danger, or Dangersoft) really needed to come out swinging. It’s a completely different landscape than it used to be when the Sidekick reigned supreme, and we keep feeling like each new Sidekick product cycle should have happened an entire cycle ago — not where the roadmap currently sits. We’ll dive into this thing and get a review going. For now, check out some flicks in the gallery!

Click on over to our T-Mobile Sidekick LX Unboxing gallery!