Dangerous Moves: T-Mobile Kicks the Sidekick

On June 30 we saw Microsoft kill it’s social network-focused phone, the Kin.  The team that worked on the Kin was absorbed into Windows Phone 7.  That team was what was once known as Danger, the creators of the OS for the Sidekick.

Now it looks like all phones from Danger are going the way of the Kin, as T-Mobile has announced that as of July 2, the Sidekick 2008 and Sidekick LX will no longer be sold.  The phones will be nowhere to be found at T-Mobile stores of the company’s website.  The Sidekick service will remain active as long as people keep their phones, which would mean another 2 years, or until T-Mobile decides to convince users to switch. {Gizmodo}

The release from T-Mobile says it will offer customers with a “fresh and new experience” within the coming months, for those upset by the news.  That would likely mean that the carrier will continue to expand on the myTouch line which already features the Sidekick-esque myTouch 3G Slide.  It could also be hinting at Windows Phone 7, which will likely be releasing in October.  Or, a conspiracy theorist could say that it’s T-Mobile’s veiled hint at an iPhone coming by next year.

Getting rid of the Sidekick is probably a good move on T-Mobile’s part, as it recently suffered a major outage on the server side, causing some panic for a few days back in October 2009. {Gizmodo}  That paired with the fact that the makers of the OS are now working on an entirely different mobile OS could also be a good reason to kill the product.  The Sidekick was great for it’s time, but with so many Android phones, the iPhone and the promise of Windows Phone 7, it seems almost silly to keep around.

Still, as the first smartphone for those of us who knew something better than Motorola’s 2-way pager would come (remember those?), but found Palm and Blackberry to be too business oriented, we have to say we’re a little sad to see it go.