“…the Sidekick 3 may be coming out this December…”
OK, not December, obviously. I’ve heard Q1 from a lot of reps now, but I’m thinking that date and form factor are the two things NOBODY knows, despite a lot of certainty about several details.
The above image may or my not be of the SideKick III. Personally I hope it isn’t; I’m wanting a design that’s a little less organic and more… sleekified. You know… thinner, more geometric. Like comparing the RAZR to the new Samsung from Sprint. Shallow curves just don’t age as well (PowerBook G3 aside). I’d also like a double-sided flippy screen.
From what I’ve been told by multiple T-Mobile reps, we can expect a lot of changes. As amazing as the new design will certainly be, the back-end servers will see even more improvement than the device itself. Server capabilities, performance, and capacity have all been addressed. This is important, since the server-based approach of the SideKick is one of its special strengths, and also a drawback, due to underestimation on Danger’s part.
From the hardware itself, we can expect BlueTooth, removable mass storage, and an improved camera. One thing that’s hard to get info about is whether or not the user will be able to put whatever apps you want on it, ala Palm and PocketPC. It is, however, confirmed that one of the reasons for the delayed launch is to fully integrate T-Mobile’s EDGE network into the device. I’ve been told that “they wanted to do it right,” by several representatives of the company.
I’ve also had it all but confirmed that there will also be a SideKick MINI, which is expected to be a flippy clamshell design. Exciting, but there’s no way I’m giving up my keyboard or the amazing quality of the SideKick II’s speakerphone (it’s second to none). All in all, I’d say it’s a good time to be a T-Mobile subscriber, especially if you are (or should be) a SideKick user.
Technorati Tags: sidekick, T-mobile, mobile, gadget