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Sidekick 4G

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We all remember the T-Mobile Sidekick. It was the phone to have back before smartphones were a normal, everyday thing. It was the phone that did all the smartphone-y things first. It was built for one main purpose, though; messaging like a demon. It was all about staying in contact with your friends, shooting out emails, and texting all the time, no matter how fast you were driving. It did that job, and it did it damn well. Now that Danger Incorporated is dead, though, can there still be a Sidekick? Well, since Andy Rubin was part of the mastermind team behind Danger and is now heading up the mastermind team behind Android, it's safe to say a worthy successor is possible. Enter the Sidekick 4G, holding the same classic form factor but, this time around, rocking Android 2.2 Froyo, manufactured by Samsung, and possessing one of the wonkiest button layouts I've ever seen. Lil' John likes it, though:

2 of T-Mobile's most exciting devices that are arriving this month, the dual-core LG G2x and the Samsung Sidekick 4G, have just gone live on Wirefly's pre-order site. Wirefly, one of the largest online mobile retailers, is sweetening the deal on the G2x by $50 compared to MSRP and on the Sidekick 4G (pick black or pink) by $20.

Thanks to Radio Shack, it's no surprise that the Sidekick 4G is hitting the sales floor on April 20th for $99, but T-Mobile has finally made an official announcement via its Twitter page. In the interest of consolidation, it was also announced that the LG G2x would be available in-store for $199 after a $50 mail in rebate, but If you just can't wait to get your hands it, you'll be able to grab it online starting April 15th.

While T-Mobile still remains quiet about the Sidekick 4G's release date, it looks like RadioShack just couldn't keep the news any longer. Thanks to a tweet from the official RadioShack Twitter account, we now know that the Sidekick 4G will be available on April 20th. That's pretty exciting news for those looking to grab the newest version of the ever-so-popular texting machine, especially when combined with the $99 (with a two year contract) price tag.

The new G2x dual-core phone with stock Google experience is not the only device getting some attention today in a slew of T-Mobile press releases - both the G-Slate 3D tablet made by LG and the Sidekick 4G made by Samsung finally got pricing information.

The reincarnation of the Sidekick brand didn't quite come as a complete surprise after T-Mobile teased its return back in January, followed by a nice photo leak that showed the latest thumb-killer, this time made by Samsung, in its full glory. However, it's always nice to get official confirmations and specs from the carrier itself, and that's exactly what T-Mobile is gracing us with today.

Been wondering when we'd hear more about T-Mobile's newest Sidekick? If so, today's your lucky day: TmoNews has some new info on the device, and a few blurrycam shots to boot. Perhaps the two most important facts: it will be manufactured by Samsung, and is apparently running Android 2.2.1.

So it's true: Samsung and T-Mobile have indeed built an HSPA+ version of the Galaxy S, although it didn't cause the Android 2.2 update for their current offering, the Vibrant, to be held back (contrary to what some had assumed).