T-Mobile officially announces the 3G Sidekick LX, coming May 13

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Well, well. Looks like someone launched the new Sidekick LX page a little too early. The oft rumored 2009 model of the Sidekick LX is now 100% official.

As far as we can tell, all the stuff we’ve seen leak out over the past few months was spot on, from the 3G, to the 3.2 megapixel camera, to the heavy social networking focus.

Form-factor wise, it’s.. well, it’s a Sidekick. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; it may not be the slimmest phone of the lot, but its always been an outstanding handset to type on. Beyond the 3G, Facebook/Myspace/Twitter home screen support, and all of the other new features (see the big list below, along with a bunch of shots), we’re probably most excited about the new 3.2 inch 854×480 (WVGA) screen. Low resolution screens have always plagued the Sidekick series, a trend which started to fade with the 2008 LX’s 400×280 screen – but this one oughtta blow them all out of the water. We’re talking razor sharp.

Only bummers? No Wi-Fi, and the microSD card T-Mobile throws in is only 1GB. Come on, guys: when you’re competing with phones that carry 8 or 16 gigs of memory, you should spend a few bucks on a bigger card.

  • An integrated social networking experience bringing Facebook, MySpace and Twitter directly to the customer via customized applications that update automatically and put notifications directly on the Sidekick home screen. Today 3 out of 4 Sidekick customers access social networking sites at least once per week from their Sidekick and we expect this trend will take off even more with the integrated experience on the Sidekick LX.
  • GPS-enabled Live Search lets Sidekick LX customers map their current location and search for a nearby coffee shop or café, share favorite spots with friends via integration with Sidekick’s messaging capabilities, or view additional search tabs to quickly check real time traffic, gas prices or movie showtimes.
  • An improved multimedia experience with a 3.2 megapixel camera and enhanced video capabilities make it easy for customers to record and upload pictures and videos to popular social networking sites. Support for audio and video streaming lets users view and listen to YouTube clips and other content online.
  • The largest, brightest screen ever on a T-Mobile device. A 3.2-inch F-WVGA screen with high-definition LCD technology with 854×480 resolution
  • High-speed Web browsing with support for T-Mobile’s 3G (HSDPA) network
  • Future support for Microsoft Exchange: Following retail availability, Microsoft Exchange e-mail support will be available via the Sidekick’s Download Catalog.
  • New personalization options including the ability to record your own ringtone or receive and save them via e-mail
  • Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 5.20 x 2.40 x 0.64 inches
  • Weight: 5.82 ounces
  • External Display: 3.2″ F-WVGA 854 x 480 pixels
  • Frequency Bands: 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 1700/2100/85/2100 UMTS
  • M3 rated for hearing aids

And now the important stuff. Beginning today, existing T-Mobile customers can pre-order the Sidekick LX from Sidekick.com. Everyone else will have to wait until May 13. The new Sidekick LX will be available in “Orchid” or “Carbon” for $200 with a 2-year contract and MIR.

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