Good morning from CrunchGear. We have the new Sidekick 2008, a svelter, sexier version of everyone’s favorite messaging phone here in the office in a sexy shell from SidekickShells.com. The phone itself is $149 with a two year contract and shells are $14.99 for one and $20 for two. The shells are probably the coolest thing about the new phone, aside from the amazing size and weight. Compared to the LX, this thing is a feather-light.
UPDATE – Based on a random drawing the winner is Shaun. He intends to write “Hands off” on his Sidekick. We don’t blame him.
This new Sidekick has more of everything. A 2-megapixel camera takes some good snaps, the IM functions have been beefed up to support group chats, and the web surfing is considerably improved. It’s still Edge and there’s no Wi-Fi but you’re dealing with IM, email, and occasional browsing. Clearly, it’s a trade-off and if you’re under 20 it’s one you’ll make gladly.
Here are the specs:
T-Mobile myFaves-enabled
· Horizontal swivel screen and full QWERTY keyboard (manufactured by Sharp)
· WQVGA screen with high-definition LCD technology
· Personalized Web surfing: PC-like, full-size layout or standard Sidekick screen-size layout to scroll and read a page; use Mini Page to zoom out on an overview of an entire Web page; save images from Web pages to the microSD card
· Customized IM experience: create and join group chats, set custom status messages, search for friends in a buddy list and see who is logged into IM to immediately start a conversation
· Easy downloads: install and use downloads without the need to restart the device; set a theme as the device’s default instantly
· Store more information: Up to 25 ringtones, add up to five slides to multimedia messages, and up to 60-second voice messages
· Quick Find to search across all applications
· Dimensions: 4.7″ x 2.3″ x 0.7″, 5.3 oz.
· 2.6-inch display, 400×240 pixels
· 2.0 megapixel camera
· Quad-band world phone 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
· GSM,GPRS,EDGE
· 512mb microSD memory card
· 1030mAh Lion battery
· Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP supports stereo Bluetooth and Bluetooth file transfer to other Bluetooth devices including Bluetooth photo printers.
We’ll have a full review this week but right now we want to give away our CrunchGear-clad beauty to one lucky commenter. Tell us what you’d skin your Sidekick with – an image? a phrase? a picture of your grandmother’s tattoo? – and we’ll pick one respondent at random.
Best of all you get our custom CG skin created by our own Bryce Durbin. Be the first on your block to sport the squid on your SK. The contest closes at noon Eastern on Thursday, July 31.