Every so often, T-Mobile will have a month where one product or brand is heavily discounted or even free (with certain restrictions, of course). Starting on September 3, all Samsungs will be free! And like all of T-Mobile’s promotions, some of the Samsung models will only be free after mail-in-rebate. Seems like a fantastic way of prepping for the awaited release of the Samsung Tocco (T919), which is hopefully coming out much sooner than later.

Here is a list of the Samsung phones you can pick up for free (with eligible upgrade or new contract):

• Samsung T229: FREE
• Samsung T429: FREE
• Samsung T339: FREE
• Samsung T639: FREE (after $50 MIR)
• Samsung Blast: FREE (after $50 MIR)
• Samsung Katalyst: FREE (after $50 MIR)
• Samsung T819: FREE (after $100 MIR)

[Thanks, Roger A.!]

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So you’re thinking to yourself, “ok so now I know which markets T-Mobile is deploying 3G in this year, but what about some new 3G handsets?” It’s a fair question and we’re glad you asked. Say hello to the latest handset to be announced by T-Mobile US, the Sony Ericsson TM506. It’s no G1 but it is most definitely a solid and sleek basic handset with more than enough juice for the typical mobile user. And beyond that, it rocks a UMTS antenna ready and waiting to eat up T-Mobile’s AWS 3G spectrum. Some music, maestro:

• Size: 3.7 x 1.9 x 0.69 inches, Weight: 3.4 ounces
• Talk Time: Up to 9.5 hours GSM; up to 3.5 hours UMTS (approx.)
• Standby Time: Up to 250 hours GSM, up to 250 hours UMTS (approx.)
• 2.0 Megapixel Camera
• Media Center
• aGPS Built-in
• TeleNav Navigator
• RSS Feeds
• MyFaves-enabled
• Audio Postcard
• Quicksend
• Mobile Backup (T-Mobile Address Book)
• Bluetooth 2.0 / A2DP / Stereo streaming
• Tri-Band GSM (850/1800/1900)
• Dual-Band UMTS (1700/2100)
• GSM/GRPS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA

The TM506 will be available in early September directly from T-Mobile online and in stores. Pricing info hasn’t been released yet but expect this puppy to be pretty affordable as T-Mobile gives its shiny new 3G networks a push.

…with a side of, well, more mobile email. Peek is a one trick pony, hoping to corner the market for casual email users looking to step into the wonderful world of constant mobile connectivity. It provides access to consumer accounts from most popular provider, including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, and more. The handset itself will be $99.95, available exclusively from Target stores beginning this fall. Monthly “all you can eat” email service will be $19.95, provided courtesy of T-Mobile’s EDGE network. It’s a cool concept, but we’re honestly not convinced that this thing holds much in the way of appeal over its more capable, more attractive, and generally more appealing cousin, the Blackberry. Sure, you’d end up spending a bit more on your monthly bill for a standalone ‘Berry plan, but for folks that already have voice service you can get $9.95 unlimited email on T-Mobile, with $19.99 getting you email+data. Peek who? Yeah, we thought so. Then again, maybe this baby will bowl us over when we put it through its paces, but until we’re convincd otherwise we’d have to suggest a “pass”.

[Via Engadget Mobile]

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It looks like everything is coming up T-Mobile these days. Sweet new handsets, first crack at Android; it seems like nothing can rain on your parade. Well… Yes, and no. T-Mobile’s 3G deployment schedule was just leaked and we can finally fill in the blanks for the rest of 2008. If you happen to spend most of your time in one of the listed cities then your day just got a whole lot brighter. If you don’t, all we can say is better luck next year.

The following markets have already launched, or will launch on the specified date:

• Austin / San Antonio
• Baltimore
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Minneapolis (launches today)
• New York
• Phoenix (9/16)
• Portland (9/18)
• Sacramento (9/17)
• San Diego (9/15)
• San Francisco (9/24)
• Seattle (9/23)

The following markets are scheduled to launch in 2008, no launch date available:

• Atlanta
• Birmingham
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Kansas City
• Memphis
• Miami
• New England
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Tampa
• Washington, D.C.

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T-Mobile customers, it’s finally your time in the sun. Sure you might have been neglected in the past but now it’s time to dry your eye. Forget about the Samsung T919, although it is pretty sexy; you’re about to get a sweet handset that the entire world is waiting to check out. Whether it goes by the name “Dream” or “G1″, HTC’s first Android device is now confirmed to be rocking a T-Mobile US-compatible 3G radio. Yes, it was already rumored but it’s nice to see some confirmation come by way of the FCC. As for the handset itself, sure we would’ve liked to see that touchscreen display take up a bit more of the device’s face but hey, at least we know you’ve got some rip-roaring 3G on deck. Well, that assumes you live in the still-sparse coverage area. Hopefully the Android OS, a solid 3 megapixel camera and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard will be enough for those outside of 3G coverage. Nothing has come up that suggests the projected mid-September release is inaccurate so it’s definitely time to start checking your contract status and tucking some extra cash away.

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Hello T-Mo! Word on the street is that T-Mobile US users have a treat coming their way via Samsung. Call it T919, Tocco, Roxy or whatever else you want; Samsung’s feature-rich touchscreen will be a fantastic grab for any T-Mobile users as long as they can do without a smart OS. What’s more? This bad boy will supposedly come packing the coveted 1700 MHz WCDMA band. A quick look at some more spec highlights:

• 5 megapixel camera
• Front-facing secondary camera
• GPS WITH voice command
• Streaming video support
• Video ringtone support
• Capacitive touchscreen
• MicroSDHC support
• Brushed aluminum back
• Consumer email functionality

There are also rumors of WiFi being included as well but absolutely nothing to substantiate that claim at this point. No word yet on pricing or an official announcement but expect this puppy to be snatched up pretty quickly once it is released.

UPDATE: While it might look like there is a front-facing camera above the light sensor, we’re getting word from TmoNews that it most likely isn’t. Video-callers will have to keep their fingers crossed.

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Word on the street is that Google recently held a briefing where it discussed the coming of Android, which may be sooner than we thought. Apparently the world is set to get its first taste of Google’s mobile juice on September 17; actually, only T-Mobile US customers will be able to partake. T-Mobile has apparently scored highly-coveted exclusive rights to sell what has been dubbed the HTC G1, the first mobile handset that will ship with the Linux-based Android OS. The rub of course, is that it will only be a T-Mobile exclusive for a week as the G1 will supposedly become available to the rest of the world on September 24. That may seem a bit odd but it’s actually very smart; T-Mobile has essentially placed its name in any and all Android coverage between now and the release. Smooth. Alleged specs for the HTC G1 give it a massive 5″ x 3″ touchscreen display, a 3 megapixel camera, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 3G connectivity though we can’t say which networks it will be compatible with. The logical guess might be T-Mobile 3G compatibility due to the launch schedule but then again, the carrier hardly has nationwide 3G coverage. T-Mobile might be the only choice however, if the G1 is to have any US 3G compatibility. AT&T has not yet officially signed on to peddle Android-powered devices, nor has Verizon Wireless for that matter. At the same time, we have to imagine it won’t be long before they jump on board. In terms of pricing, there will supposedly be a discounted price of $150 during the first week of availability through T-Mobile. After that, the price is expected to jump up to around $250. T-Mobile has not confirmed any of this but if it is true, expect the advertising to start rolling out very soon.

[Via Wired]

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There’s a whole list of questions waiting to be answered; If a BlackBerry is blue, is it a BlackBerry? Did Jennifer break up with John, or did John break up with Jennifer? Has Bobby Flay ever actually won a Throwdown? We’re not sure guys, but we will be able to give you the answer to who won the T-Mobile Sidekick and our custom BGR shell! The winner is Erik, “aka trujee”. Enjoy the ‘kick, and make us proud when you rock that BGR shell!

We’ve been hearing a lot about Android recently, from delayed release dates to a video claiming to depict the fabled HTC Dream in action. What we haven’t heard, however, is anything specific about the public availability of the first Android devices to hit the streets. HTC and T-Mobile have been promising an Android-based device by the end of this year, but haven’t gone any further into the specifics. TmoNews is now claiming that the HTC Dream will, in fact, be the first Android device to reach our hands. The site is reporting that T-Mobile will begin offering the Dream via a special promotional pre-sale event beginning September 17th, which is just over a month from now. The device will reportedly cost $150 for current T-Mobile subscribers, though it could sell for as much as $399 when it goes on sale to the general public some time later. The phone itself will be code-named G1, and should resemble the device we saw in the video a couple days back. Slide out QWERT keyboard, 3G data, 5″ x 3″ touchscreen and 3.0 megapixel camera will all come standard, making it T-Mobile’s flagship device. It will require a data plan, which will reportedly run a bit north of the current $20 Total Internet add-on. Thankfully, it will also be offered in an array of colors, including white, black, and brown. Excited yet? We’ll have to wait until we get our hands on one, as the device in the video leak is a bit underwhelming, but if these specs and release date hold, T-Mobile and HTC might have a real contender on their hands. Oh yeah, you’ll also need a Gmail account to purchase one…

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This one hasn’t exactly been a secret, but for anyone that’s been looking to grab one of these sliders today is your day. The Nokia Xpress Music 5610 is now available from all of T-Mobile’s physical and online retail channels. The handset sports a 3.2 megapixel camera, dedicated music player rocker key, included 2GB memory card, and shiny aluminum side panels. It’s certainly not the most advanced handset on the market, but for $99 this represents one of the better values in T-Mobile’s current lineup. Although the handset ships with a 3.5 mm headphone adapter, the actual jack on the handset is Nokia’s proprietary pop-port a 2.5 mm connector. Not surprising for a phone at this price point, but still not such a good thing for such a music-focused handset. If that’s not a deal breaker for you, however, head on down to your local T-Mobile store and swoop up one of these bad boys.

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Likely due to the recent introduction of the oh-so-mediocre Sidekick 2008, the Sidekick Slide appears to have been unceremoniously removed from T-Mobile’s catalog. Online stock is completely depleted, with stores selling off their limited inventory to the final few customers that are foolish fast enough to get there in time. The Slide was Motorola’s first entry into the Sidekick world, and was plagued with problems from launch. While this handset was by no means one of Moto’s biggest sellers, it can’t help the ailing company’s bottom line or morale. Sad, as despite it’s myriad flaws we kinda liked to odd little bugger. Just don’t expect anymore Motorola Sidekicks. We think Danger is going to stick with Sharp, a proven manufacturer for their Sidekick line for a pretty long while.

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This one’s been floating around a little bit, but somehow, someway, Sony Ericsson is making a return to T-Mobile USA. Plus they’re the first HSDPA handset to launch, too! The specs are not incredible by any means, but for just an average phone, they’ll do just fine. Here’s a recap of the specifications:

• 2.0 megapixel camera
• Tri-band 850/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE (boo!)
• Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 1700/2100
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• microSD slot
• Video recording
• IM

If you’re feeling up to it, you should be able to snag one come September 3rd, for a price not yet determined. Who’s going to be the first taker? Full size image after the break…

In case any of you living in Las Vegas were desperately waiting for T-Mo to pull the 3G switch, your day has finally arrived. As of this morning, T-Mobile has officially went live with 3G in Las Vegas. You’re still stuck with the standard run of the mill crappy handsets if you want to use a 3G one, but T-Mobile promised us they’ve got an HSDPA-capable device coming soon. Yay.

Like our Best Buy ninjas in blue didn’t out this one already… Oh well. It’s always nice to see some more color choices on T-Mobile, though. We were getting pretty darn tired of the gold and titanium Curves. The phone will be available starting today at all T-Mobile retail stores and over the phone for $149.99 with a 2-year agreement. We’re waiting to hear back from T-Mobile to get confirmation of the OS, but we’re betting it’s going to run 4.2.2 even though our leaked doc says any BlackBerry launches before September will run 4.5. Here’s the full spec rundown in case any of you were MIA for the past year:

• GSM, GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi
• Quad-band world phone 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 2.5” display, 320×240 pixels, QVGA display with more than 65,000 colors
• 3.5 mm headset jack
• Dimensions: 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches; 3.9 ounces
• microSD slot supporting up to 4 GB of optional removable memory
• 2 megapixel camera
• T-Mobile myFaves-enabled
• Stereo Bluetooth® capability

Larger pics after the jump as well as the press release!

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 in Sunset is enabled for Unlimited HotSpot Calling from T-Mobile (previously called T-Mobile HotSpot @Home) offering great mobile coverage and unlimited calling over any accessible Wi-Fi network and at all T-Mobile HotSpot locations across the country. When leaving home or a T-Mobile HotSpot, calls are seamlessly transferred onto T-Mobile’s wireless network, and the same is true for transferring calls from T-Mobile’s network onto Wi-Fi.

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 in Sunset includes a 2 megapixel camera, music and video multimedia player, a microSD expandable memory slot that supports up to 4GB of memory and stereo Bluetooth® as well as HTML Web browsing at Wi-Fi speeds, personal and corporate email and built-in spell check.

It will be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online at www.t-mobile.com for $149.99 with a two-year service agreement.

This one has been rumored for quite a while, but if a small piece of paper taped to the window if a T-Mobile store is to be believed, we now have semi-official confirmation that the carrier will be flipping the switch on its 3G network on October 1st. The high-speed data network should go live in 27 of T-Mobile’s most populated markets, which is good news for anyone that’s growing a bit tired of their lowly EDGE connection (read: everyone). The carrier has been testing its 3G network in New York over the last several months, though we’re not aware of any similar tests in any other markets. Whatever the case, lets hope that they pull this off in conjunction with the release of some hot new handsets, as their current crop of 3G-capable phones is, well, awful.

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Probably the worst kept secret in recent Sidekick memory has been the new T-Mobile Sidekick, model 2008. From leaked codenames to screen shots, device slides, and even some live shots, if you’ve been paying attention, you’re certainly aware of the device. For some reason, if you’re not, here’s a quick rundown of the specs:

• $149.99 with a two-year agreement
• Video recording
• Spell check
• Quick find
• Improved browser
• Enhanced IM
• Bluetooth A2DP
• 2.0 megapixel camera
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE

We haven’t took much time to play around with the Sidekick just yet, but from our early findings, the keyboard seems to be a mix of the Sidekick 3 and the Sidekick LX, but the buttons are a bit smaller. We’re a little disappointed with the build quality on this one. If this phone doesn’t scream “CHEAP!” to you…you’ve got a serious problem. The 4 buttons on the front of the device (menu, jump, back, cancel) are difficult to press, and that’s not even getting into the buttons on the side like the volume keys and the power key. The miniUSB connector is on the top of the phone this time instead of the side, which makes a whole lot of sense, and we actually were surprised by how loud the speaker was. Still though, you might as well spring for the extra $100 and get an LX. Or a Slide. Maybe not a Slide. Motorola’s not getting any more Sidekick contracts anytime soon.

Seriously, we love you T-Mo, but it’s time to get in gear. When the Sideline line-up encompasses your hottest exclusive devices, you’ve really got an issue. The model designation of the Sidekick is even 2008, yet we can’t understand how this is being released in this day and age, and we would have loved to see a $50 price point. Heck, you can get a friggin’ iPhone for $199. You might have to wait a couple weeks, but you still get an iPhone!

Since you can actually create your own shells for the new Sidekick online using a pretty cool configurator, T-Mobile was nice enough to hook us up with a customized BGR shell for the Sidekick. In typical BGR fashion, we’re giving it away. Yes, you can be that totally cool kid in school with the only BGR Sidekick in town. Just drop in a comment and you’re on your way! We’ll run this until Friday at 11:59PM. No, you don’t actually get to win the Sidekick. T-Mobile made us promise to send it back so they can trace our fingerprints and discover our identity.

UPDATE: Ok, screw it. T-Mobile hit us up to let us know that they’re sending us a brand new T-Mobile Sidekick to giveaway. So now you win the actual Sidekick and the BGR shell. How can you beat that?

Click on over to our T-Mobile Sidekick hands-on gallery!

We just got a hold of some internal T-Mobile snap shots, and any Sidekick will truly appreciate them. They detail the much-rumored Sidekick Gekko, from here on out known as the… wait for it… almost there… T-Mobile Sidekick 2008! That’s it, guys. Creative name right? In all seriousness, it looks like the word about customizing the shells on the device look to be true. It’s an “entry-level” device, and as such, we reckon it won’t break the bank. Here are the official specs on the T-Mobile Sidekick 2008:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• 2 megapixel camera
• 2.6″ WQVGA screen
• Video recording
• Stereo A2DP Bluetooth
• Standard Sidekick features

Couple more shots after the jump along with some more info!

If there’s one thing we get asked most, it’s probably the “I want to get out of my contract because _____ sucks!” email. We decided to put together a nice little guide for all you T-Mobilers wanting to jump ship. Bits and pieces have actually been pulled from some of our commenters, so thanks David and everyone else! There are a couple downsides, though. For one, this particular method does not allow you to port your number over to another provider. You’ll have to do some more work to get that accomplished. Check out the full rundown after the break, and check for other carrier editions coming soon!

• David points out that this method only works for people that do not currently have a messaging plan. If you do, the recent text messaging rate increase won’t work as there is no contractual change that applies to you.

• If you haven’t sent or received a SMS message within the last three months, send a text to your T-Mobile phone. If this isn’t done, T-Mo will most likely deny your request stating that the change doesn’t affect you since you don’t get your text on.
• Log in to your T-Mobile account online at www.t-mobile.com. Hit the billing tab, then current usage, and verify you see the text message you sent yourself. Or any other received text. As long as you see a recent text message, you are good to go.
• Call T-Mobile at 800-937-8997. When prompted by the automate system say scream iPhone as loud as humanly possible “cancel my account.”
• When you are transferred over to a live person, they’ll ask you why you wish to cancel your service. Tell them that you were notified that the text messaging rate will be increasing from $.10 to $.20 on 8/29. If the rep doesn’t know about this yet, they will likely go ask someone and come back to you.
• Most likely, they’ll try and bait you to stay by offering you secret golden deals. Deny all of them!
• If you have not used text messaging in the past 3 months the CR will tell you that the change doesn’t affect you and you’ll need to pay the ETF. Tell them about the text you sent yourself (or any other text message you received in the past 3 months) and have them check your recent activity.
• If the rep tells you that the change doesn’t take effect until 8/29, quote T-Mobile’s Terms of Service. Tell them that according to the Terms of Service, you must cancel within 14 days of receiving the notification. If they really try and push your buttons, banhammer them with the following Terms of Service excerpt: Section 3:
  IF WE MODIFY A MATERIAL TERM OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND THE MODIFICATION WOULD BE MATERIALLY ADVERSE TO YOU, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU OF THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION AND YOU CAN CANCEL THAT SERVICE WITHOUT PAYING A CANCELLATION FEE (WHICH IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY) BY FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE. IF YOU DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SERVICE BY FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, OR YOU OTHERWISE ACCEPT THE CHANGE, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION, EVEN IF YOU PAID FOR SERVICE IN ADVANCE. IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SAY HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO CANCEL, THEN IT IS WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE NOTICE, UNLESS A LONGER PERIOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
• If you had to read that whole damn thing to the Krispy Kreme junky on the phone, they’ll briefly put you on hold while they cancel the account.
• Once the account is cancelled, check back on www.t-mobile.com to ensure that you can’t access anything. If you can’t access anything, your account has been successfully cancelled.
• If you still haven’t got anywhere by the end of this long ass post, hang up, and talk to someone else. They’ll most likely help you.
• If all else fails, tell the CR on the phone that you’re going to file a report with the FCC. Fill out this form here http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. That should ensure a swift action taken by your wireless carrier.

Let us know how this works for you and what provider you end up switching to!

Chalk this one up to the rumor mill for the time being, but rumbles on the street indicate that T-Mobile might be preparing to flip the switch on it’s national 3G network on the 1st of October. According to the source, the carrier will bring 3G data coverage to its 27 top markets, including the cities that have already benefited from the recent soft launch of the faster mobile data protocol. Sure, it’s a bit later than the other 3 major US carriers, but if T-Mobile uses their impending launch as an excuse to bring us some tasty new 3G-capable handsets, including their upcoming Android device by years end, we wouldn’t be disappointed in the least. We’ll work to dig out some more details on this one, but keep your fingers crossed, folks.

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Wednesday means that your week is just about half over, but here at BGR, our work is never done. Our ninjas know that that they can never rest, and hump day is no exception. So what do we have here: how about a little Best Buy info for your viewing pleasure? One of our anonymous buddies has uncovered some info that all you Danger and RIM fans might enjoy - like a few new handsets coming your way this month from Best Buy. First, the Sidekick Gecco and limited edition Sidekick LX Tony Hawk will both be making their way to the retail giant later this month, both on T-Mobile. Inventory will be received on Sunday July 27 to be exact. On the same day, Best Buy will also be receiving what is labeled as the BlackBerry Curve Sunset; a new color of Curve for those of you you like to be a bit different. The carrier for the new Curve isn’t clear but T-Mobile is likely a safe guess. Hit the jump for more pics and a clearer view of some more stock that Best Buy will be receiving at the end of the month.

Thanks, K.!

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Ok, so maybe our ninjas weren’t done for the day! We have good news and we have bad news; which do you want first? The bad news is that BlackBerry users on T-Mobile have a pair of outages coming their way. The first is scheduled to be a nice 8 hour block tonight from 9:00 PM until 5:00 AM PST tonight. The second will be tomorrow for 4 hours between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM PST. The good news, aside from the fact that the timing is decent if everything goes according to plan, is that the outages will result in a shiny new BIE/BIS 2.5 upgrade. That’s right people, it’s coming! HTML, MSN and Hotmail support, AOL push-email support… It’s always best to end on a high note. Hit the jump for the full T-Mobile slide outlining the plans.

If this one turns out to be true, it looks like the Windows Mobile faithful might finally have access to T-Mobile’s UMA network. According to the DigiTimes, the T-Mobile Shadow II will sport Hotspot@Home compatibility, allowing users to make voice calls over their existing Wi-Fi network. Hotspot@Home has been available for quite some time, but has yet to make the jump to the Windows Mobile platform. Unfortunately, DigiTimes is also reporting that the device won’t launch until sometime during Q4 of this year, which is a bit later than we initially anticipated. Can we wait that long for the debut of this HTC-soured device? Probably not, but we’ll take our chances.

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What has up until now been the exclusive playground of Seattle and Dallas-based T-Mobile customers will soon be sweeping across the entire nation. T-Mobile has announced that their @Home VOIP phone service will be available wherever T-Mobile service is found, beginning Wednesday, July 2nd. For those that need a refresher course, @Home is a supplemental service that allows existing T-Mobile customers to add a home phone line to their account for $10/month. The service requires a proprietary Linksys Wi-Fi router that accepts a T-Mobile SIM card, but customers are free to use the cordless phone of their choice. The price of the HiPort router is $49.99 with a 2-year contract when you purchase the service. We have yet to test an actual unit, but if it works as well as they say it does, we think this might prove to be an excellent alternative to a stand-alone land-line subscription.

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• Wi-Fi-enabled; supports T-Mobile HotSpot @Home

• T-Mobile myFaves^SM-enabled
• Music player (supports WMA, MP3, AAC and eAAC+)
• Stereo Bluetooth connectivity
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and video capture
• Expandable memory with microSD (support for up to 4GB)
• Instant messaging; supports AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live
• Speakerphone
• FM radio

Next up is the Samsung t339, which is another yawner of a phone, sporting:

• T-Mobile myFaves-enabled
• Music player (supports MP3, AAC and AAC+)
• Stereo Bluetooth connectivity
• 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and video capture
• Expandable memory with microSD (support for up to 2GB)
• Instant messaging; supports AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live
• Speakerphone

Both are available immediately, but if it were up to us, these two would be sent directly to the D.O.A. pile.

Doubt us? Never. That Sidekick LX update we told you about yesterday has just been made official. T-Mobile made the announcement today, promising a host of upgrades to existing LX users. The new OTA refresh will start making the rounds this week, with video recording, play and share capabilities, an alarm clock, stereo Bluetooth support and Bluetooth file transfer support all making the cut. As with all Sidekick updates, this will be a phased rollout, so don’t get too upset if this doesn’t hit your handset immediately. Patience, dear readers. Patience. 

If you’re like us, you’re not giving that Tony Hawk Sidekick LX the time of day. But, you don’t want to feel left out when all the other cool kids in school are taking videos of their gnarly sk8board tricks. What’s a Sidekick-toting fellow to do? Well, the much-awaited OTA update for the LX will hit on June 25th. It will be a rolling OTA as usual (they slowly spread it out across the devices which can sometimes take up to 4 weeks) and we’ve got the exact details on what it will contain. Below is an easy-to-read version of what we were able to translate. 

• Capture videos using the new video mode
• Playback from the SD card or email attachments using the media player
• Share videos via email, Picture messaging, and Bluetooth
• Listen to songs or videos using a stereo Bluetooth device
• Send and receive photos, videos, or music via Bluetooth
• 3 IM clients & enhancements to AIM® and Yahoo!® Messenger
• Create and join group chats
• See who is logged into IM from the address book or email and instantly start a conversation
• Set a custom status message then keep chatting
• Search for friends in a buddy list
• Got more buddies than you can keep track of? See who’s online right from the address book or email, and search for friends in your buddy lists
• Select how Web pages are displayed based on preference
• PC-like, full-size layout to pan & scan while reading o Standard Sidekick screen-size layout to simply scroll down the page to read · Mini Page to zoom out on an overview of an entire Web page 
• Save images from Web pages to the SD card Personalize the way you want to surf
• Device does not restart after a download. Just install an item, and it’s ready to use
• Capture videos and share them directly from the Camera app
• Video integration for playback, send, and save to gallery
• QuickFind: search for keywords across applications to find messages or information
• Spell Checker