The Sidekick line of messaging-oriented devices has been very successful for T-Mobile. Following up on the Sidekick LX, Sidekick 3, and Sidekick Slide are two more SK handhelds coming this summer. Codenamed Sidekick Gekko and Sidekick Aspen, these two devices will likely boast similar form factors to the existing line.

There is a distinct possibility that either or both of the new Sidekicks will come with support for the T-Mobile HotSpot@Home service, marking the first time that a Sidekick would come with Wi-Fi. Alternatively, Gekko and Aspen could be little more than color variants of existing models. Stay tuned, as more information will surely present itself before the supposed end of July launch dates.

from: MobileMag

Looking for the perfect Sidekick LX skin or a wide variety of Sidekick Slide skins?

The shop.sidekickskin.net site has a god selection of skins available for the Sidekick Slide, Sidekick LX and the Sidekick 3.

Here are some of the Sidekick Skin categories that are available:

Sidekick LX Skins

Sidekick Slide Skins

Sidekick 3 Skins
Baby Phat Sidekick Skins

Butterfly Sidekick Skins

Carbon Fiber Sidekick Skins

Chrome Sidekick Skins

Diamond Sidekick Skins

Flower Sidekick Skins

Gel Sidekick Skins

•   Sidekick 3 Gel Skins
•   Sidekick ID Gel Skins
•   Sidekick LX Gel Skins
•   Sidekick Slide Gel Skins

Heart Sidekick Skins

Hello Kitty Sidekick Skins

Leopard Sidekick Skins

Pink Sidekick Skins

Plaid Sidekick Skins

Polka Dotted Sidekick Skins

Red Sidekick Skins

RhineStone Sidekick Skins

Sparkling Sidekick Skins

Starry Sidekick Skins

Swarovski Sidekicks

Zebra Sidekick Skins

100 Dollar Bill Sidekick Skins

These are some great Tips from Mr. Verse from The Powered By Danger Forums!  He originally wrote this for a SK3 but it applies to the Sidekick LX and the Sidekick Slide as well.  Hopefully, these tips will help you get better battery life!

He  “trained” his original SK3’s battery to last about 18-20 hours with a 4 hour charge.
This trick really only works within the first week of use. If you’ve used the device for 2 months already, this won’t help as much (but it’ll still help). Keep in mind, when I say “train the battery,” I mean RECALIBRATING THE BATTERY METER:

A) I cannot stress enough that the initial charge out the box is crucial. Instructions state you should charge the device 6-8 hours upon initial start up. Most people are so geeked by getting the device that they yank it off the charger 3-4 hours later so they can go out and floss their sidekick. HUGE mistake. Despite evey urge to do so, let it charge at least 6 hours out the box.

B) Now, for the next couple of days try and let your device totally drain out it’s battery before you charge it again. I’ve had a couple nights where I come back from work with the device already dead (Sucks for my commute, but well worth it in the long run). When you finally do plug it in, make sure it charges 4-5 hours minimum before you remove it. I usually leave them plugged in overnight…

C) You’ll begin to notice an improvement in your battery life. Your device now has new “baselines” for when it’s full and when it’s not. Keep it up for another day or so (but don’t waste an entire week doing it) and then you’re set. Sometimes I would bypass the old automatic cutoff for charging by charging it while off just to make sure I “topped it off” (NOT reccomended for consistent charging, tho’).

So that’s what I did, and have done for every SK device since the CSK. My replacement now lasts me 18+ hours with heavy browsing, IMing, texting, and 1.5 hours of MP3 usage(commute). By the time I walk in my door, I usually have 1 bar left or the battery warning (which now lasts me about 30 minutes)…

Many have said I’m lying, and that it’s impossible to “train” a lithium ion battery, but if you are consistant out the box, you can definitely recalibrate the battery meter to peak accuracy… Heck, my old SK2 used to last me 2 days solid (at least) between charges.

See more of his battery training and performance tips here.

So I was searching around last night, trying to find the new code for the Avon promotion.  That didn’t go so well.  Sorry no new discount code is available that I can find.

 I did find something out though.  You can order the deal online.  It isn’t as good, 2 year contract vs a 1 year but the sidekicks are  still cheap.

So for all of you avon reps out there, here is the website address to get your discount.

The address is www.t-mobile.com/avon  You are not calling it in, you are ordering online so no code is needed! 

You could try calling a say you saw it on the website but did not have the code.

The sidekick slide is is free after rebates and the sidekick LX is 50 after rebates.  So if you didn’t get the other deal check this one out.  No telling how long it will last.

 Good luck

Wow, that was quick.  In only a years time,  the Sidekick ID has been discontinued by T-mobile.  The Sidekick ID was the low end Sidekick since its introduction.  It was stripped of a camera, a mp3 player and any expandability.   Looks like the Sidekick Slide is the new low end phone from T-mobile.

So long Sidekick ID, it was nice knowing you.

 The following is from Engadgetmobile.com

“After what feels like an all-too-brief run on the low end of the Hiptop range, the colorful Sidekick has unceremoniously disappeared from T-Mobile’s retail site. We don’t have any intel on whether it’s gone for good just yet — we’re working to confirm — but tell us: was anyone out there, like, totally going to buy an iD today, only to discover (much to your horror, of course) that it had been removed? Please, do share your horror stories with us in comments while we’re getting the lowdown on the situation.

Update: We’ve heard back from T-Mobile, and it’s true — the iD is no longer being manufactured, though if you’re really lucky, we understand that you still might be able to score one from a store that has some remaining stock. Good luck, shoppers!”

Check out the following link for Sidekick IDs available on eBay: Sidekick ID for Sale 

Silence your Sidekick Quickly

Does the beeping of your Sidekick keep you up at night? Sure, you could always mute it but then you might miss that important phone call. A Custom sound profile is the answer. From the Jump Screen press the Menu button, select Settings then Sound Profiles. From there, you can crank up, turn down or entirely disable different sounds. Once you have a setup you like, give it a catchy name, save the profile and switch to it whenever you need a bit of silence.

Tale a Quick Camera Shot

This is how you can grab a quick picture with your Sidekick device! Bypass the trackball! From anywhere on the jump screen, a quick press of the top-right bumper will take you to the Camera app, another press will power-up your camera, and a final press will take the picture. Click click click done!

Give Your Texting Thumbs a Break

Flipping through multiple IM conversations? A quick finger-press to the left and right shoulder buttons on your Danger-powered device will cycle your back and forth through all of them - and your thumbs never have to leave the keyboard.

Enable Auto Texting on T- Mobile Sidekicks

Speed up your IM conversations, even if you are not a touch typist by enabling autotext. From the Jump Screen, press Menu, select Settings, then select AutoText. From there, set up shortcuts for all your favorite words and phrases.

Set up A Group Chat

Start or join a chat room! In AOL Instant Messenger, press MENU-J at the Buddy List screen. Get your group on!

Save IM Messages

Press MENU-M and quickly mail it to yourself. Or, share it with friends to avoid repeating yourself.
Some new Sidekick Tips and Tricks for you. These apply to all Sidekicks including the Sidekick 3, Sidekick ID, Sidekick LX and Sidekick Slide. The Camera one doesn’t apply to the sidekick ID though(for obvious reasons)!

How to Setup Email Accounts on Sidekicks

Set up your Sidekick to retrieve emails from any of your POP or IMAP email accounts - like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail. Press the Menu button, select Settings, Accounts and add a new account. Done! Plus, view emailed Word and PDF content directly on your Sidekick.

Check out even more Sidekick Goodness at www.repairmysidekick.org