Why Microsoft killed the T-Mobile Sidekick

Prior to the iPhone, the best SmartPhone for someone who didn't need Outlook access was arguably the T-Mobile Sidekick. It provided excellent cloud capabilities (all contacts, calendars, photos, etc. were synced auto-magically) back when "the Cloud" was still conceptual to Microsoft and Apple. It was a good phone with strong battery and antenna. It had an excellent screen, a unique design, and an excellent hard keyboard. And it had the cheapest unlimited data plan out there, appealing to low-end users. Then, it was bought by Microsoft who promptly let the servers die, losing customer data, and then turned it into the Kin. Which they promptly killed, in favor of Windows 7 phones.

Why did Microsoft buy such a valuable piece of technology and then abandon it? Insiders claim it was a combination of factors: (1) the psychotic obsession with making every operating system a branch of Windows (pushed by the release by 18 months), (2) the internecine squabbling within the Microsoft mobile division amongst managers, and (3) a complete lack of actual vision for what the behemoth wants to produce for a phone.

Overall, it appears that Microsoft simply never saw the Apple/Google SmartPhone revolution coming. So, every move in the last 3 years - Windows Mobile 6.X, the Windows Phone 7 announcements, the Sidekick/Hiptop/Kin moves, the Microsoft Courier project - are all signs of panic as they try to figure out how to proceed and who to copy. Expect more casualties in the months ahead.

Rest in Peace, Sidekick. You will be missed.