Last year, T-Mobile launched two new Sidekicks: the Slide and the LX. This time around, it’s keeping the name simple: “Sidekick.” The big news is the customizable external shells that you can purchase from the dedicated Sidekick Web site.

The site lets you either upload your own images, or choose from a library of clip art that you can apply to your own shell. Each costs $9.99 but you can get two for $14.99. I have to admit that I had a good time grabbing a picture of a surfer in a breaking wave and applying it to my imaginary shell. Then I took an ink-blot logo and splotched it around the camera hole. I’ll have it in the office soon enough to give you a look, but I think teens will like this feature a lot.

In terms of changes, the latest Sidekick offers a 2MP camera and a slightly smaller display than the Sidekick LX (2.6-inches vs. 3-inches). It’s also smaller in size than both the Slide and LX, too, at 4.7 x 2.3 x 0.7 inches. And while one new feature is that its new camera can record video, it’s at a pathetic 176 x 144 resolution which is hardly even YouTube worthy.

For the $149 price, I suggest heading to Verizon Wireless and grabbing a $99 LG EnV2 or the LG Voyager for $149. Both of these phones will offer you GPS and a 3G connection on top of the features that you’ll find on the T-Mobile Sidekick. Plus the Voyager even throws in mobile TV.

Head on over to our review to read our full opinion of the new T-Mobile Sidekick.

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