We received an email from someone that we haven’t heard from before with the following:

Hello, I have some news for you.. although it’s not very credible, and I have no proof. Last night I was coming back from Providence to New York on American Airlines – I saw an older man (dressing quite formal I must say, suite and everything) and as we were both getting on the shuttle to JFK parking, I noticed he had a blackish sidekick… okay, at this point I’m thinking it’s just a Mister Cartoon version, but It was defiantly an SK3… I think, it looked smaller, and it was black AND silver, and definatley had a nub, or turnwheel or whatever it is :), anyways, when I asked “excuse me, what is that?” He said “it’s the future of handhelds”, smiled and got off the shuttle. I have no evidence or pictures, but hopefully this will help your
search.

We did a bit of investigation and from a reliable source found that the TMobile executives actually have Sidekick 3 devices in hand, and that it may also be making rounds at call centers. If there is any validity to this claim (no offense meant Joanna), then the description of the man with the handheld from the future could very well have been a TMobile executive. The answer given certainly sounds like some good marketing speak.

We received the following pictures from a source who wishes to remain anonymous with the following statement:

Unlike like previous reports, the SK3 doesn’t have a “nub” like a laptop.
But a 3D trackball that will light up instead of the D-pad like the SK2.

Ok, we know we’re not the only site out there reporting on the Sidekick 3 rumors. but at least we’re not making up news…
Sidekick3.blogspot.com has been posting various made-up stories, only to get pwned on each one. The best being a fake ebay listing for a Sidekick 3 from AOL member RWiLL40158.


We especially like how he has ” MS Paint” open with a doc called “ebay” in the screenshots. As if this didn’t need further debunking:
– Ebay user: hiptopdeals808 nor the auction # exist at ebay.com or ebay.ca.
– Check out this auction Same price, same item location, same member join date, and same auction end time. Can you say photoshop source?
– The auction image shows the URL “ebay.com” but the cancelled page shows “Ebay.ca” logo.
– Notice the Auction Item info in the Title Bar on the auction page?

Edit: Updated the auction link, sorry, mis-pasted.

Asurion, the insurance for T-Mobile and other carriers, already has an option to get your non-existent Sidekick 3 insured. Check it out here Just select T-Mobile, and you’ll see Sidekick III as an available model to insure. For what it’s worth, the deductible for this phone model is: $110, and the monthly fee is: $5.99. Thanks to FutrExec01 for catching this one.

NYNY writes:

Our T-Mobile Outlet has received Promo Material for the Hiptop Sidekick III. I have
attatched pictures of a DEALER PREVIEW. Pictures were taken with my sidekick, did not have much
time. Thanks.

We’re calling “photoshop” on this one:
– There is no (R) next to Sidekick, and we know how much T-Mobile loves that branding
– The “m” in T-mobile is not capitalized
– No bottom margin on the text box, that’s just sloppy
– T-Mobile has never acknowledged Danger before and they mention the “Danger team” in the text box
– Is this a brochure? a flyer? what?
– Two white females in the picture? Looks like that would miss a large portion of the Sidekick’s market

Oh, and wondering where the girls came from? Our friend iPWNu found out:
OddCast Host Workshop
The RedHead
The other girl

We received the following email from a reader:

Hi, this is a message confirming a post on your website about SK Promo material being released. I am with T-Mobile on 170 Broadway, New York City, NY. We have recently received what we think is the same Outsource sheet that your source in Los Angeles has received. A new section on our delivery sheet was added in our last bimonthly outsource:

UI/DANGER HIPTOP DATA DEVICE/PROMO
CC/12×12p ITEM:055261812 [BD: TMO black pink]
CP/16×12pback ITEM: 055382733 [no BD]
CP/20×20cback ITEM: This item is not yet listed. Check 06/06 Listings for more information.
This (promo) material is now available for outsource delivery beginning JUNE 06 06. Please select delivery carrier by custom to your division’s preference.

This was printed at the bottom of our outsource delivery sheet which we receive bimonthly. Let me explain it to you. UI/DANGER HIPTOP DATA DEVICE/PROMO – UI is a reference code to “new material” which is now available. DANGER HIPTOP DATA DEVICE, speaks for it’s self – but we usually would receive something similar with UI/DANGER HIPTOP SIDEKICK 2/PROMO, for the Sidekick 2. We are no longer ordering Sidekick 2 Promo materials. Because it simply says HIPTOP DATA DEVICE, we would assume that this would be the Sidekick 3’s promo material, as if it were the Sidekick 2 it would clearly state so, as well as the fact that the Sidekick 2 has been discontinued, we also have reason to believe that that the actual device will be available on the 3rd or 4th of July, which is probably what the other dealer/manager has come to believe.

This information, although it might sound “classified”, is actually quite easy to find. Most T-mobile dealers/managers now beleive the release date will be June 3rd or 4th.

Hope I could help.

Ok, so we have heard all sorts of release date rumors. Everything from April to never. We received an email from a reader today with the following info:

Hello, my name is [NAME REMOVED] and I work for the T-Mobile on [STREET REMOVED], in Los Angeles, California. My Outlet Division ID is [REMOVED]. You can confirm my status as Manager at our outlet by calling T-Mobile at 1-800-937-8997, asking our automated support for Customer Service, and ask them to verify [NAME REMOVED] for store [REMOVED] on [STREET REMOVED] REP ID: [REMOVED].

I have news for you on the T-Mobile Hiptop Sidekick III. We recently received word that publication and publicity materials (i.e. promotional posters, cardboard cutouts) will be shipped to our stores on the 17th of June, and the Hiptop Sidekick III’s will be shipped (prior to delivery clearance) on the 3rd of July. I haven’t contacted our delivery service yet, but I suspect that we will be ordering 200 devices within the month of their release.

July 3rd is the Sidekick III’s official release date, and you have my written consent to publish this information on https://www.hiptop3.com, excluding my REP ID, I don’t want to get fired ;).

We have currently received documentation on price ranges and new plans offered by Telekom-Mobile, but that information is yet to be confirmed.

Thank you for your time,

[NAME REMOVED]

Another rumor? Maybe some truth? We’ll let you make the call until we find out more info. Here’s what we’ve found:
– The email address this was sent from is listed as the contact for a company that designs and builds playground equipment in Ontario, Canada.
– The street listed is actually in a neighboring city to LA.
– We called the only TMobile store on that street and asked for what we thought was a her, and were told “he” was out to lunch and should be back in 30 minutes.
– Outlet Division IDs are an unknown term for the people in the know that we’ve asked.
– More info to come hopefully….

Jose Cruz writes to us to let us know that CNet has posted the following message on their review of the Sidekick II:

This product is no longer sold by our merchant partners. Information below was accurate at time of review.

It’s getting more and more official every day it seems.

We got an email from a reader that simply says:

Subject: Sidekick Launch party is at Plumm club in New York
Body: 2-3 weeks from now. A friend says he’s already been invited.

Gizmodo is reporting that the Sidekick II has been officially discontinued. Their source, a third party dealer named A.J. who sent in the following message:

I’m a third party dealer for T-Mobile, and after calling up today to place the weekly order for phones, I was informed that the Sidekick II has officially been discontinued by T-Mobile. They are stating a mid-June launch for the Sidekick III, and if anyone wants a Sidekick II they’ll have to hurry up and try and pick one up on the cheap before inventory dries up, as they can no longer be ordered from the carrier.