T-Mobile today opted for a weekend launch of the Sidekick Slide Scarlet, its first special variant of the Motorola-created messaging phone. The new model conspicuously changes the phone's trim from its original purple to a deeper red while keeping all of the features of the original: the Slide is still one of T-Mobile's smallest Sidekicks but offers the full feature set, including its 1.3-megapixel camera, EDGE Internet access, microSD storage up to 4GB, and dedicated AAC and MP3 playback.

The phone continues to bridge some of the differences between smartphones and feature phones with a more advanced web browser and a multi-network instant messaging client. Pricing should stay in place for the Scarlet's launch today with the phone selling for $200 along with a two-year contract; a contract-free version sells for $300.