T-Mobile Sidekick LX photos

The T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 brings a slimmer design and a handful of new features, such as 3G support and built-in GPS. Current Sidekick owners will get first dibs on the new device with online presales starting April 17 for a price of $199.99 with a two-year contract. Everyone else will have to wait till May 13 and final pricing is still TBD.

Manufactured by Sharp, the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009 is currently the thinnest Sidekick, measuring 5.1 inches wide by 2.3 inches high by 0.6 inch thick and weighing 6 ounces. Despite the slimmer design, according to T-Mobile, it is four times more durable than previous versions.

In addition to being the thinnest Sidekick, the Sidekick LX 2009 also boasts the largest and sharpest screen to date at 3.2 inches. The WVGA display (854x480-pixel resolution) is based on Sharp's Aquos technology and swivels open to reveal the full QWERTY keyboard.

On back, there are grooves where you can rest your index fingers when holding the device. The Sidekick LX also features a soft-touch finish so it has a nonslippery texture. The device will come in two colors--carbon or orchid--but you will also be able to create custom shells like the T-Mobile Sidekick 2008.

As always, the Sidekick LX plays for a younger crowd, so there's plenty of support for social networking applications. In addition to MySpace Mobile, the Sidekick LX now ships with Facebook and Twitter integration.

Another new feature is Flash video support so you can view sites like YouTube. Not only that, but you'll also be able to upload and share videos with the built-in 3.2-megapixel camera.