October 2002
T-Mobile Sidekick released
T-Mobile began selling the Danger Hiptop (Sidekick) in October 2002 — a swivel-screen smartphone aimed at messaging and mobile web.
What it was for
The Sidekick's cloud-backed address book, AIM chat, and mobile browser made it a cult device for early mobile social networking. Its app ecosystem and always-on data plan influenced how carriers thought about smartphone subsidies. Developers built JavaA portable language running on the JVM — dominant in enterprise servers, Android, and big data. ME apps and mobile web experiences for a youth audience years before the App StoreApple's marketplace for iOS apps — centralized distribution and in-app purchases on iPhone..
Why it's here
The Sidekick popularized always-on mobile messaging and cloud-synced contacts for consumers.
Why it mattered
It showed non-enterprise users would pay for data plans to stay connected on a pocket device.
What it solved
Feature phones offered poor mobile web and no integrated instant messaging experience.
Media
ImageT-Mobile Sidekicknomad7674, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- BlackBerry 5810 releasedMarch 2002
- iPhone goes on saleJune 29, 2007
- Android announcedNovember 5, 2007