Myspace

The Myspace application is basically a port of their version from the older OS. We see much of the same functionality, and the 3G service just makes it run a bit smoother and faster for us. Since a lot of this application is the same as the old version, we won’t be commenting much on it, just giving features.

You have the ability to view all aspects of your profile, including photos, blogs, comments, and your main profile. The profile editor is very nice, as you can place html code in the sections you wish; you may not be able to view these changes in the application, but you can still edit it all. Definitely a very desktop-like editor for your profile. Not only can you upload your photos straight from the album, but you can also upload videos to your profile. In addition, you can set alerts to just about anything that you would need to be notified about in the application. Most of these won’t need to be set, but still nice to have.

Some of the things we wish that existed are the ability to view profile videos and listen to profile music. We understand that this would require a complete update on Myspace’s side, but using RTSP streams, they could have tried to make this possible. Otherwise, the application is pretty complete. There is yet to be a fully powerful mobile Myspace application on any device, but this application is pretty great for an avid user. Overall, it’s pretty stable, and the application auto-reconnects if there is ever an abrupt log out.

Facebook

The Facebook application is a very nice and intuitive app that gives us the best of Facebook. The application pretty much takes the standard mobile edition of Facebook, and turns it into an updating app.

The splash screen is very nice, showing you not only that you have an alert, but actually gives you a newsfeed preview of the latest friend status and Facebook activity. We also like that you can refresh the home, which will give you the latest activity. The image icons and previews come up pretty fast, even just on EDGE.

Viewing a friends profile, you can easily comment, poke, or even message them. Composing a message is much like the email application, but it’s still within the app. You can also comment on statuses, and upload photos directly from your photo album. You can update your status with no problem, and view all messages, friend statuses, and search Facebook; all of these options reside in their own tab.

The ability to “Like” a status does not exist in the application, which is somewhat of a downer, considering we sometimes don’t always like to comment on a status. It also would have been nice to see the ability to upload videos to your profile, or watch videos from other friends profiles. We would have like to have seen a version of Facebook chat as well; we’ve seen it on other devices, and it would have been a great addition to the app if you could use this feature.

Aside from a few flaws, it a pretty great application, and saves you from having to keep using the browser. An app built in keeps everything Facebook related very organized; Facebook users will spend a lot of time in this app.

Twitter

Finally, you can have a Twitter application on your Sidekick, that interacts with the site just the way you want it to; the mobile website doesn’t always have the ability to perform certain tasks, but this application definitely performs.

The splash screen gives you a preview of one or two tweets, and tells you when it was posted. Inside of the app, you can see A LOT of tweets that have been posted by people that you follow. In addition, you can easily update your status, with a text field that has a ticker counting down your 140 characters. Scrolling over a person’s tweet, you can send then an “@ reply”, send them a direct message, see their timeline, and view their profile. You can also choose to stop following that person, or mark the tweet as a favorite. You can delete a tweet you made, follow new people, and update your location.

The problem with this app is that you are forced to choose between intervals of automatic updating, which tend to be either too fast and burn battery, or too slow and not update enough. We wish there was a manual update action, that could force an update. Also, we wanted to see the tweets to be updated after you send a tweet, showing your message and updating the timeline. Another feature that we find missing is Twitpic, or photo posting functionality in general. This is one of the very popular trends when adding something to view in a tweet. Sure, you can go ahead and post it to Photobucket and drag the link in, but direct Twitpic functionality would be ideal. Also, updating your location is more of a manual process; it would have been nice to see it fetch your current location upon request.

 
Hopefully these reviews give you a great idea of what to expect with these social applications. Here are some additional screenshots of all of the apps in action.

How does the keyboard feel?
-It’s a harder rubber than the LX. Same style, feels nice. There’s definitely a difference though.

How does the OS look/perform?
-It looks gorgeous on the new LCD (everything does though.) It performs really well. I haven’t noticed any slowdowns yet.

How does it compare to other sidekicks in all areas?
-It’s much lighter than the LX was, It feels more sturdy than the 08 in the few times I played with it. I haven’t tested battery life yet, so I can’t comment on that. The speaker is significantly louder than the LX’s, which is nice.

If you had ringtones on a previous sidekick, were they transferred over?
-Not sure, I never bought any ringtones.

Can we use sounds as ringtones saved from emails?
-Yes, as long as they are 100kb or less. So to get any length in the mp3 the quality will be pretty crummy. You can record on the device up to 20seconds.

Can he take a picture of the text messaging screen? is it the same as the previous sidekicks?
-Yes, it’s the same messaging app since the 2.3 OTA of the Sidekick 2. Nothing new like message threading.

Since we can stream radio, can we stream mp3s through the browser too?
-No.

What does the battery look like?
-It’s small in size. The capacity seems to be lower than the LX (The 09 is 1250mAh and my LX is 1540mAh) What the battery life is yet, I’m not sure.

Is the speaker really a big difference?
-Yes, it’s much louder. Almost as loud as the Slide was.

Do the applications and ringtones transfer?
-No.

Is ringtone recording on the official to the public phone?
-Yes.

Are the keys on the keypad the same material as the ones on the Sidekick LX?
-They are a harder rubber than the LX. Feels really nice.

What are the new “face/mood” icons in the messengers.
-AIM and MSN are the same as the LX with the 4.6 OTA, Yahoo has new icons I think. Screenshot

What is available in the catalog? anything free or different? is it full of items or a limit due to the new O.S?
-The catalog is pretty bare for now, I’m sure they are working overtime to get more apps/games ready. The free apps are; Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft Live Maps, and MySpace.

Is there any way to get around the 100+30 limit on text messaging?
-No

can you post pictures to twitter from the twitter app? ie. twitpic
-No

How does the web browser compare to the LX’s web browser?
-Larger space for viewing sites, faster. That’s pretty much it.

When did you preorder? i am so jealous! i want mine right now!
-The night it was available.

What does the Carrying Case look like??
-It’s just a case. It doesn’t have any belt loops or anything, so if you want to use on your belt you’ll have to buy a 3rd party case.

Can We plz get some pix of the acessories if thats not 2 much 2 ask thanx and how do u feel to b the 1st normal person 2 have one and how do u think u got it early?
-The included accessories are Wall charger, Headphones, USB cable for your computer, and the carrying case.

How solid does the phone feel? Can you take some comparison shots vs whatever phone you were using prior to today so we can get a feel for the size?
-The phone feels really solid. I thought the 08 felt like a cheap piece of plastic. This feels much nicer than the 08, and the LX. (Mostly thanks to the rubberish coating) I was using a LX before this, See the new post for comparison shots to the LX and Slide.

How is the quality like the weight, design, quality, and ease of use compared tot he oiginal thanks!
-It’s much lighter than the LX and Slide (I can’t compare to the 08, sorry.) and I think the build quality is much better than before. It’s got a great feel to it. The design kind of has a BWSK/CSK feel to it with the raised up screen. I like it.

How does the video quality look when watching a video on youtube?
-It’s… watchable. The videos are highly compressed for mobile viewing (iPhone has access to higher quality videos)

when watching a recorded video, is it clear? or do u see the pixels just like the LX?< ?strong>
-Recorded video isn’t bad. It’s definitely not on par with a Digital Camera, or something like a Flip. But it’s usable, and hey.. it’s unlimited length now.

Do the mood lights light up different colors?
-Blue only.

How fast is the internet? is it much more faster then the LX and previous sidekicks?
-When you’re on 3G, the Internet is fast. Very nice.

Can take a screen shot of AIM and MSN?
-Sure, attached. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travis_l/sets/72157617497236492/

Can you show a pic of the sms?
-Sure http://www.flickr.com/photos/travis_l/sets/72157617406252227/

Can you speak on the phone and IM and browse the web at the same time?
-Yes, However… only if you’re connected to 3G. Otherwise, no.

Can you take a screenshot of the AIM and MSN icons? I’ve been using an SK3 since it came out
I presume this is what you mean…
-AIM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travis_l/3487127765/in/set-72157617497236492/
-MSN: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travis_l/3488094196/

Also, can you view animated gifs the new one? That’s the one thing I wish it could do…
-No.

What about the blog management tools that were listed? or is it just describing twitter?
-I presume just Twitter, but I wouldn’t rule out seeing any other apps (blogger, etc) in the future.

Do you know if you can use voice activated dialing?…like when you say a name and it dials it?
-No voice dialing

Is the flash better than the old lx?
-Not sure. I haven’t tried it yet.

what do the Monkeys, Bird & Evils look like in AIM & in Yahoo?
-The same, just larger versions for the new screen.

Can you play a converted DVD video? I heard it can play one at native resolution! how clear is it at 30fps?
-I have not been successful in converting any video for the new device yet. (Hell, the old device too.)

What does the music player look and sound like
-Music player is the same. Sounds much louder than before.

Is the video recording screen still a little box or has it gotten bigger?
-It’s gotten bigger, It’s now doing 320×240 as opposed to 176×144

Does the camera application have a self- timer?
-No. (This would be cool though)

Does the the Face Book application allow you upload cel-pics to your personal Face Book page?
-Yes, you can even tag friends in photos you upload.

Is there a weather app built in or is it like the old sidekick where it cost 3 dollars a month to get the weather?
-It will be a recurring fee app I suppose, I’m not sure as it’s not in the catalog yet.

How is the swivel? Is it sturdy or flimsy? Thanks
-Sturdy. The magnets are a lot stronger that hold the screen closed so it takes a little extra oomph to open the LCD.

does it have flash on it? do other websites beside youtube that use flash do they work like hulu?
-It does *NOT* Have flash. I want to make this very clear. Just because you can view Youtube videos does not mean it has flash. YouTube has a mobile version where they have the videos available in very small, very compressed streaming format (RTSP if you’re interested.) and that’s how you’re viewing YouTube on your device.

Do you know if the SKLX09 has the hearing aids codes?M2-5?Cause I wear aids in both ears.
-I Have no idea. Not sure how to tell either, sorry. Maybe T-Mobile can be of help.

can u send pictures in messages through aim to ppl who have older sidekicks?
-No.

also i seen in one of the pix u can go invisible so now u can appear offline while really online?
-Yes.

also can u have more aim conversations open at one time kuz i believe it was always limited to 10?
-Nope, still 10.

also did/does ur autotext carry over bekuz i have alot of it lol?
-Yes.

i just wana know is it still 100 messages in the phone
-Yes, still 100.

can you send pics to ppl on aim?
-Yes.

Can you send pictures to other ppl on aim with who have the sidekick LX?
-Yes, only the 09 though. Older devices (LX 07, Sidekick 08, Etc) won’t work.

i just wana know is it still 100 messages in the phone
-Technical reasons.

Is the battery life better?
-I took mine off the charger at about 3am last night. It just died at about 10:50pm (With GPS on and playing with it, Twitter refreshing every 5 mins, and Facebook. Along with my normal IM/Text/Browser/Phone usage)

Do you know if there are any mood light Tricks?
-Not sure, sorry.

what is the video recording format on the new lx is it still 3gp
-In the new “High Quality” mode it’s recording in MP4 at an unlimited length. In the lower quality it’s 3GP.

Do your bookmarks transfer over from the old device?
-Yes.

On the MySpace app, can you update mood/status?
-I don’t know, I don’t have a MySpace account and I’m not making one, sorry. You can on the Facebook app though.

What’s your favorite feature so far?
-The new screen. It’s amazingly crisp and gorgeous.

How is the GPS. Does it track you in real time?
-I haven’t really played with the GPS much. It picked me up pretty quick when I was outside. The Microsoft Live Maps application has a “Track Me function” I assume this is what you’re looking for.

how’s the camera?? does it take good pictures in the dark??
-It should. The flash is significantly brighter than the LX.

Keep an eye on this post, we’ll update it as new questions come in.  If your question hasn’t been answered yet, drop it in the comments.

There’s also the video of this guy using it:

If you’re one for soundbites too, then there’s also these videos from Emily Blair, the T-Mobile Sidekick Manager talking about the features of the Sidekick LX 2009:

• No Shells like the 2008
• 3 mood lights – new locations: 1 on top and bottom of the keyboard

http://www.poweredbydanger.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1332&d=1240058761

and 1 long one on the top edge of the screen when opened (bottom of screen when closed)

http://www.poweredbydanger.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1333&d=1240058814

• Actual Screen Shot (click for full size)

• no animated gifs
• SDHC Memory – no limit – just what is available on the market (16gb – OK!!)
• Speaker is louder than before
• Video Mode – Low Res is a 176×144 resolution meant for sending via email/mms. This resolution is limited to something like 4 minutes.
• Video taken from an SK09 (Hi-Res Mode – no recording limit!!):

http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss259/appletech_pbd/?action=view&current=VID00002.flv

• Photo App  Max size: 2,048 x 1,536

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8283/img00061h.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2281/img00062l.jpg
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7992/img00064l.jpg

• You can Geotag photos with your GPS location.
• It’s a 3.2MP camera with Auto Focus and flash (no zooming).
• There’s an auto focus mode with options distant and macro mode. There’s white balance controls, and B&W, Sepia, Negative effect options.
• Available resolution options are:
  • 2048 x 1536
  • 1600 x 1200
  • 1280 x 960
  • 800 x 600
  • 640 x 480
• YouTube videos work.
• m.break.com videos work (but not smooth)
• Seesmic does not work
• Facebook app seems to be a souped-up mobile version. No videos, apps, etc.
• Internet Radio Works!! (Ex: ShoutCast):
  http://poweredbydanger.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1342&d=1240089939
• Yahoo Messenger supports animated buddy icons.
• AIM and Yahoo Messenger now support photo sharing
• You can also upload videos to youtube (or photobucket or myspace) directly
• Web Browser still does not support Flash
• You cannot roam on AT&Ts 3G Network due to the ranges being different:
  The LX09 supports UMTS Bands 2100, 1700, 850.
  T-Mobile uses 1700 and 2100 for 3G, while AT&T uses 1900. So you won’t be able to roam on AT&T 3G.
  As for “Other networks”, it depends on what 3G band they are using.
• Still has chrome around the USB/Charger, but appears to be more sratch-resistant:
  http://poweredbydanger.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1338&d=1240087896
• Data plans are grandfathered. T-Mobile will not raise your rates
• When GPS is on, the battery drains faster. (there is an option to turn it on/off)
• Browser is overall the same as the last OTA on the LX. But you have a LOT more room:
  http://poweredbydanger.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1319&d=1239974010
• Still 6MB limit on email/ 100+30 limit on SMS (both same as before)
• No confirmation as to “Free Ringtone downloads” still basing it on info already published.
• Themes can still be user-generated like before
• Social apps (Twitter, Myspace, Photobucket, and Facebook) are all FREE – no monthly charges!!!!

Here’s the featureset:
3G Enabled
Social Networking apps (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) built in
GPS Live Search and Geotagging photos
3.2″ TFT LCD (F-WQVGA 854×480 pixels)
Thinnest Sidekick Ever
3.2MP Camera with AutoFocus
Record your own Ringtones
Carbon (Black) or Orchard Finish

Pre order with 2year contract for $199.99 (Plus taxes and fees, and a 50 dollar Mail In Rebate) at Sidekick.com or buy without contract for 449.99.

*Note: When we spoke with T-Mobile we were told we would NOT have to change the old 19.99 plan to use the 3G on the new devices.

We knew it was coming. We knew they were visiting and they answered the call. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the photo we’ve all been waiting for. May we present to you, the Sidekick 2009 aka the Sidekick Blade.

We got the above image in our inbox. The reader sending it in danielle says she was taking a survey about smart phones on QuizPoints and was presented with this one. Here are the specs it lists in the photo:

Social Networking Suite of Apps
- Facebook
- MySpace w/ video upload
- Twitter
- YouTube Mobile Access via browser

GPS Location Based Search
- Turn by Turn Navigation
- Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps

Content Creation
- Blog publishing, editing, and management client
- Photobucket Upload and Management
- Video recorder and upload to MySpace/Photobucket

Communications
- Signature Sidekick IM/SMS/E-mail Experience
- Microsoft Outlook/Exchange synchronization

Hardware
- Large (3.2 inch WVGA) screen with sharp 854×480 resolution
- Thin design
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording
- Large QWERTY keyboard
- Expandable memory up to 8GB via MicroSD

Everything seems to match up with what a Sidekick LX 2009 would have. It mentions 3G, which is pretty much a given at this point. The introduction of Microsoft Live Search and maps makes a lot of sense since Microsoft now owns Danger. The addition of GPS (finally!) is also a nice complement to the maps and helps the Sidekick compete a little bit with the iPhone and other location-enabled devices. But I’m sure the thing that everyone is freaking out over now is the mention of YouTube mobile access. It’s probably the #1 request for the Sidekick by the majority of the users. It doesn’t seem that out of reach since the Sidekick can play video already, it just needs a way to get it from YouTube. None of the apps are groundbreaking, but they’re things that a lot of us would agree it would be nice to have on our Sidekick.

The hardware looks about right too. A 3.2MP camera isn’t the 5mp camera we hoped for, but it is a god bump up from the 2MP camera in the Sidekick 2008 (not to mention the 1.3MP in the LX). The screen is higher resolution (too early to start working on those new themes?) and of course the familiar keyboard is still there.

Is this the Sidekick Blade that we’ve been hearing whispers about? Hard to tell. We know that “Blade” is a codename and that internally (in software) it’s know as the “m3“. The “m2″ was the Sidekick 3, so one would guess the “m3″ would correlate to the elusive Sidekick 4 and a “large” upgrade in device. (FWIW, the Sidekick LX was the “m2-hd”) Could MSDanger be working on two devices? It’s very possible, but we don’t have anything to back this up or refute it yet.

So is this for real? We think so. At least we think it’s specs drawn up by someone official that is testing the water with consumers to see what they think. Whether it’s what we actually see in a device in the future, I’m not 100% sure. I think it definitely sounds like the next revision of the Sidekick LX. It’s not too ambitious, but does add a few of the most requested features. Seems to be the way that T-Mobile/MSDanger like to do things with the Sidekick.

Tired of hearing about all your friends bragging about their 3G speeds? Well us Sidekick users won’t have to wait forever. We’ve heard from sources about the next Sidekick. We don’t have a release date yet, so start making your guesses, but we can almost guarantee you that it won’t be out this year. It’s Danger codename is “m3 Blade” and we hear that it will cut closer than ever before! For those that don’t remember, the Sidekick II was codenamed “m1″ and the Sidekick 3 was “m2″ so if you wanted to, you could call this the Sidekick 4 I guess. It’s also going to be 3G, which is no big surprise considering the enormous rollout of 3G coverage that T-Mobile has been doing. Other than that we’re speculating that it will have a better camera since we saw Sharp put out a 5MP camera awhile back. Last we heard there wasn’t GPS on it, but we’re hoping that will change. If you had your wishes, what do you want to see on the next Sidekick? (Other than YouTube support of course)

T-Mobile is continuing their 3G network rollout. With rumors of an Android device coming this fall, it only makes sense to have the high speed network deployed in major urban areas before the device launches. This also means that the doors are more open for Danger/Microsoft to put out a 3G Sidekick. Want to know when your city will be enjoying 3G speeds? Here’s the list of rumored dates for when the network will go live in each city:

Baltimore – Aug 18th
Houston – Aug 19th
Minneapolis – Aug 20th
San Diego – Sept 15th
Los Angeles – Sept 16th
Phoenix – Sept 16th
Sacramento – Sept 17th
Portland – Sept 18th
Seattle – Sept 23rd
San Francisco – Sept 24th

Don’t see your city? Don’t worry, there are other cities that are slated for 3G by the end of 2008:
Atlanta
Birmingham
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Kansas City
Memphis
Miami
New England
Orlando
Philadelphia
Tampa
Washington, D.C.

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