iPhone 4 Coming to T-Mobile UK

With yesterday’s announcement of the Apple iPhone 4, mobile service providers around the world are jostling to get in on the action.

One of the first provider’s to announce near-immediate availability of Apple’s latest mobile device is T-Mobile UK. Via its “Everything Everywhere” campaign with rival Orange, T-Mobile has announced via its Twitter account that the iPhone 4 will soon be available on its network.

The all-important details, including pricing and release date, have yet to be announced.

Good News For Android Market

Google AndroidGood news for Google Android continues to roll in as the Android Market reached a milestone this week and American wireless provider T-Mobile has announced deeper integration with the marketplace.

AndroLib, an online news and application resource for Google Android applications, is reporting that the Android Market has surpassed 20,000 available apps with a whopping 62.2 percent of those absolutely free. Apple’s iPhone may now have over 100,000 applications available but only 33 percent of those come with no price tag, giving Android another boost in consumers’ minds.

T-Mobile has also announced that it will host a branded version of the Android Market that will showcase the top applications as chosen by the provider itself. T-Mobile customers running Google Android version 1.1, 1.5 or 1.6 will soon have access to the tool, allowing them to easily locate applications that will best heighten their experience.

T-Mobile Offers Sidekick Again

T-Mobile SidekickT-Mobile USA has launched the sale of its Sidekick handset again for the first time since server issues saw a major loss of data for the carrier’s customers including contacts, calendar data, photos and more.

After selling the phones for several months, T-Mobile pulled them from shelves following the massive data loss, citing a loss in confidence in the Sidekick despite most of the data being recovered unexpectedly by the wireless provider and Microsoft.

The Sidekick is now available from T-Mobile USA at the reduced price of $49.99 with a two-year contract; the Sidekick LX is $149.99 with the same commitment.

T-Mobile Launches Sony Ericsson Equinox

Sony Ericsson EquinoxT-Mobile has released the Sony Ericsson Equinox feature phone today, giving users a shot at the manufacturers first feature phone release in months. The Equinox, a basic flip-phone, does offer one standout feature in its ability to offer personalized and easily customizable light notifications; depending on the friend calling, the phone can be set to display flashing lights in amber, amethyst, beryl, diamond or sapphire color schemes.

Additional features include a small 2.2 inch QVGA screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G connectivity alongside Bluetooth and a built-in FM tuner for radio playback along with an integrated MP3 player and stereo headset jack.

The Sony Ericsson Equinox will be released today by T-Mobile with pricing details expected shortly.

T-Mobile Sidekick Data Loss Permanent

T-Mobile SidekickFollowing the initial apology posted online from Danger, T-Mobile USA and Microsoft concerning the data interruption suffered by Sidekick users last week, the companies went on to admit that the personal data lost may be non-recoverable. Because Sidekick devices store some of their data, including contacts, calendar entries and photos, on Microsoft servers, the data loss resulted immediately when those servers failed.

The latest news concerning this story came yesterday as T-Mobile pulled their entire lineup of Sidekick devices from both retails stores and the provider’s online shopping area. A final statement followed from T-Mobile last night, stating that the company was “hopeful” that at least some data could be recovered.

All Sidekick users on the T-Mobile network will receive one month of free data service and a $100 customer appreciation card will be offered to those whose data cannot be recovered; the gift card is usable for any T-Mobile product or service, including monthly bills.

None of the companies have yet published numbers indicating how wide-spread the data loss was. Whether this pulling of the Sidekick line from T-Mobile’s lineup is permanent also remains to be seen.