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.
I would skin mine with my company’s logo.
Why, I’d skin it with the aforementioned CG skin, of course! (Is that kissing up?)
I would put an Apple logo on it.
id put “if he is here who is running hell”
I would probably skin it with the logos and colours of FC Barcelona (I’m a big fan!)
Please remove SezWho.
It is annoying as hell!
I would skin it with the actual internal circuitboards of the device just to confuse the hell out of people.
Gimme one with a houndstooth skin!
Either the MU logo…or the Navy Nurse Corps oak leaf…or a picture of myself holding the Sidekick in a mirror, so it will go on and on into forever.
Anyone remember that the software is now made by Microsoft (via the Danger acquisition)?
Oh, easy. Barbarella, of course.
I would cover mine in warm, realistic, skin colors.
I would skin it with the flesh of a baby seal and then put the lotion in the bucket so that it does not get the hose again.
That is too funny! lmao
Fat, ugly, EDGE, and no WiFi. Take that, Apple.
Did anyone really like the old sidekick?
My parents went to TMobile and all I got was this crappy Sidekick.
I’d create a graphic to match the keyboard’s color scheme. Black and lime green?
I would put a picture of the Pacific Coast Highway from So-Cal that way I’d nevver put the phone down.
Not too bad looking at all. I’d skin it to look like a burrito. I like burritos!
I’d probably put an old fav phrase of mine:
“I haven’t lost my mind; it’s backed up on disk somewhere” next to a picture of a floppy. :-)
I’d skin it with either Tanto or Robin, the two greatest sidekicks of all time.
I’d skin it with a bright yellow color to make a nice contrast with the black.
the ecxtra skin that comes with the sk is yellow. lol
actually its a lime green
LOL yeah, it is lime green…haha.
I like the idea of a yellow skin, though…
My other phone is a blackberry
If I were to receive this fantastic piece of hardware, I’d skin it with a nature picture of my home state.
I’d skin it to look like Domo-kun :D
A picture of Montgomery Burns sitting at his desk, with this phrase underneath it:
“Smithers, Have the Rolling Stones killed.”
I was thinking of laser-etching that into an iPod actually…
I am thinking of using my logo that I have on my business cards and website design, to keep everything branded together.
It’s a bit more self serving, but I actually like the design, so it may work in the long form of the back of the sidekick.
I’d skin it with this – http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/seovice/26072008171.jpg
My Daughter, The Cutest and Sweetest Sidekick in the world!
How about a black belt with a high, straight leg-kick out in the same direction as the screen going out? Simple, but clear.
Thanks!
Either a big “42″ or a copy of one of my mother’s paintings (she’s really, really good).
I would skin mine with numerous pictures of Hans Moleman from The Simpsons.
I would skin this awesome phone with a screenshot from spore (soon to be the greatest pc game ever)!!!!!
I would skin min in an Apple IPhone skin, and really confuse people!
I’d skin it with a Dark Knight logo, because that film was badass.
A map of the world!
Or pictures of my golden retriever… maybe both!
A phrase: “Don’t Panic”
Easy….Cottage Cheese
a picture of charles barkley
I’d skin the back of it with an iPhone 3G home screen skin since I refuse to wait in those ridiculous Apple lines.
NObama 2008! With his “O” logo for the O and have a red circle and stripe over it.
being an Olympic year…. I would probably skin it with a silhouetted image of Prefontaine and the caption “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Let’s go with…
I (HEART) GLOBAL WARMING!
This will show the Green Peace eco-freaks on the corners that I love using my not so green-going sidekick technology!
I would skin mine with french fries :] probably a cool pic of Frylock
I will give it to my wife with her own small business logo on it.
I would put a picture of the suprised look a burn victom always has… FOUNDRY!!!!!
I think a sweet B&W photo of an old foggy bridge would be cool.
I would skin mine with a picture of your mom in a low cut blouse.
That thing is huge!
I’d put a Barack Obama logo!
That’s disgusting. It’s all hype!
“Hands Off”
Fag
Sore loser, ladies and gentlemen, let’s give it up for him!