Android Sidekick 4G rumored for T Mobile HSPA+,

T-Mobile’s Sidekick range met its end back in July 2010, with the carrier promising it was would “work on the next chapter of our storied Sidekick franchise.” According to TmoNews, that chapter will involve Android 2.3 Gingerbread; their source claims to have been briefed this week on a new T-Mobile Sidekick 4G running Google’s open-source platform and packing both a physical QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display.


Very little is known about the hardware, and it’s not clear whether Sharp is making this particular batch of next-gen devices. The name – which might not make it to production models – certainly implies HSPA+ connectivity. Sidekick certainly built up a strong fanbase of users, though it’s unclear what would differentiate a new line of Android models from other Android phones with physical keyboards, such as T-Mobile’s own G2.

Update: PCMag reports that T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm confirmed the upcoming Sidekick 4G at a briefing earlier today:

“We will launch as new the Samsung Galaxy S 4G … and coming soon, will also be a Sidekick 4G. Everybody knows the Sidekick, and we’re going to relaunch the Sidekick and bring it as a 4G device, Android based, into the market”