Things have been relatively quiet in the Sidekick range since the launch of the Slide and the LX last year, but we now have word that the latest version of the popular messaging handset will be a ‘Scarlet’ Slide.  Functionally identical to the original Slide - i.e. with a pop-up screen, full QWERTY keyboard, trackball and IM clients - the handset appears to be mainly black with bright red accents inside.  According to an internal T-Mobile document the new color variant will be available in stores midway through May.

The original blue version of the Slide will continue to be available alongside its scarlet sibling.  Both are manufactured by Motorola but with the unique Sidekick OS.  User data is stored remotely on T-Mobile’s servers, meaning that files such as images and audio are saved even if the handset itself is lost or broken.

The Sidekick range has been in the news recently after Microsoft completed their deal to buy Danger, the company behind the handset.  According to Microsoft, Danger’s expertise in developing user interfaces will be aimed at improving how “fun” Windows Mobile is, in an attempt to broaden the appeal of the smartphone OS to non-business customers.

[via Hiptop 3]