So we caught wind yesterday of rumors that T-Mobile was planning to offer several comprehensive levels of text and call blocking this summer, offering super-granular control over who exactly can reach your beloved handset. Options would include per-number blocking, SMS, MMS, IM, and email on an individual basis -- only free messages would still be unblockable. We contacted T-Mobile directly and got the following response: "We are working on a service we plan to launch this summer that would enable customers to block text messages (beyond what is available today)...stay tuned." In other words, yeah, it sounds like there are some more advanced options on the way. That's good news for us -- and bad news for our stalkers.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

derStandard, the same publication that announced that the iPhone would be sailing into Austria via T-Mobile is now reporting that the same carrier will be testing the 3G iPhone in the aforesaid country. During a press conference in Vienna, T-Mo Austria reportedly affirmed that a UMTS version of Apple's handset would "soon be available," and that Austria would be the "testing ground" for the new mobile -- not to mention "among the first countries in the world with the UMTS iPhone." Furthermore, bigwigs stated that "more flexible" offers would be made available, but details beyond that were scant.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Great news, T-Mobile USA fans -- the roller coaster ride is finally over. After we thought T-Mobile's 3G network was but moments away from launching, we soon found that data may be left out. Oddly enough, a few reports hailing from the Big Apple claimed that data actually was included. At long last, the carrier is coming clean and announcing its official 3G rollout in the States. Unfortunately, the UMTS / HSDPA network is initially launching in New York City alone, but the good news is that data will be included and the operator expects the high-speed data network to "be available in cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services" by the year's end. Yeah, it's safe to celebrate now, we promise it's not a(nother) false alarm. Full release posted after the jump.

When we'd heard that T-Mobile Germany was at loggerheads with Nokia over its Ovi services, the carrier was quick to point out that it didn't offer any Ovi-compatible devices in its lineup to begin with and that it was "in discussions with Nokia about this topic and [was] confident to find a common path in the near future." Sure enough, it looks as though that "common path" has now been found with an announcement that Nokia will be working closely with T-Mob to integrate its web'n'walk mobile internet service with Ovi for deployment on future devices customized for the carrier. There's no telling what sorts of contracts got signed behind the scenes here, but if we had to guess, we'd say most of T-Mobile's existing content-based revenue streams are going to end up being preserved by appearing within the Ovi sandbox on these new phones. A loss for Nokia? Not if it wants its phones to keep appearing on T-Mobile Germany's store shelves, it isn't.

We still don't have a picture of Danger's so-called "Gekko" and "Aspen" Sidekicks to ogle while we wait for a supposed summer release on T-Mobile, but we've got the next best thing: a screenshot pulled from a prototype. It's still not exactly clear what the relationship is between the two new codenames, but we can now say with some certainty that there'll be at least one all-new model in the mix since the rendering used on the device here doesn't look like any Sidekick currently in the stable. Hiptop3 reports that the Gekko's codename (wait, a codename for a codename?) is "Style 2," pretty much confirming that it'll replace the low-end and recently discontinued iD. Despite the focus on keeping this one cheap, the site also says that the Gekko will sport a feature set similar to that of the LX, so it's not clear what specs will be sacrificed to keep this one affordable. A cheap LX alternative with what appear to be changeable faceplates? Count us in.

T-Mobile's looking to expand its prepaid offerings, branching beyond the typical minute allowances to offer its new "Pay By The Day" service which -- you guessed it -- charges for service by the day. One dollar per day, to be exact, nets you unlimited nighttime calling and unlimited calling to other T-Mobile numbers, while other calls will run you 10 cents per minute. At the end of the day, you're shelling out $30 a month on average for the ability to yap until you're physically unable to speak any longer, as long as you don't call out of network during daylight hours. For night owls, this could be a boon.

[Via RCR]

A little early for all-new Sidekicks, isn't it? TmoNews is reporting that a pair of new codenames have rather suddenly appeared on the Hiptop radar -- "Gekko" and "Aspen" -- with the former due on T-Mobile come July 27 and the latter rolling on in just three short days later on July 30. The three-day separation between two Sidekick launches itself seems a bit suspect, though to be fair, the last round of Danger codenames we caught wind of turned out to be dead-on legit. As Hiptop3 suggests, a round of LX (or Slide) limited editions seems like the most plausible explanation here -- or maybe it's just T-Mob's fancy way of describing new colors.

[Via PHONE Magazine and Hiptop3.com]

The next episode of the ubiquitous Pearl is now available in T-Mobile stores across the land, bringing the spec sheet in line with the features Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T customers have been enjoying for a little while now -- a 2 megapixel camera, external microSD slot, and 3.5mm headphone jack, just to name a few. Unlike the 8130 for CDMA networks, the 8120 that T-Mobile and AT&T share adds a 802.11b/g radio, but the T-Mobile version packs yet a couple more tricks up its sleeve -- you know, the ones you'd probably expect of any modern T-Mobile phone with WiFi, namely support for myFaves and HotSpot@Home. That last bit about the WiFi calling is where it gets really interesting. Put simply, the experience we had setting up, using, and making calls with the new Pearl linked up to our router was the best we've had so far with any HotSpot@Home device; it definitely seems like T-Mobile and RIM are learning a thing or two about how to make this a truly seamless and painless process. A "UMA" indicator on the display lets you know that calls are being routed over the service, but if you're not paying attention to it, you might never know it's happening -- it's just that good. Grab it starting today for a shade under $150 on contract, or if you'd prefer to keep your money firmly in your pocket, you can still live vicariously through our gallery here!

Thanks to a few BlackBerrys, we can keep our standard "there aren't any HotSpot@Home-compatible smartphones!" argument to a minimum here, but still -- you've gotta admit that T-Mobile's seriously going overboard with the midrange WiFi handsets. It looks like the upcoming t339 flip will be yet another, thanks to FCC documentation showing the presence of 802.11 aboard its thin, brownish shell. For what it's worth, this could end up being the sexiest HotSpot@Home dumbphone yet (we're not huge fans of the Katalyst's look, we admit), but still, guys, give us an N95 or something. Please. No release date here yet, but we'll keep y'all in the loop.

[Via phoneArena]

Boy Genius Report is reporting (it is the Boy Genius Report, after all) that the Motorola-sourced Sidekick Slide will be getting a second variation on T-Mobile come late May or early June, this time around in a lovely shade of red to compliment the same glossy black shell as the original. We can see how the purple might be a bit intense for some folks, so red should be a decent alternative; we don't think the picture's real here, but it gets the point across. With the iD out of the picture, it seems like T-Mobile has some ramping up to do in the palette department -- and really, how much longer can we go without a Dwayne Wade LX?

Significant reductions in handset pricing are frequently harbingers of their imminent discontinuation -- or, at the very least, a sign that the affected phones have fallen off their high horses and into midrange anonymity. Calling the iPhone "anonymous" really doesn't do it justice, admittedly, but the fact that T-Mobile Germany's new pricing plans can net you an 8GB model for a scant €99 (about $155) on contract is an interesting move any way you slice it. The blowout price is only obtainable by signing up for the "Complete XL" plan, which runs €89 a month (about $139) and includes 1,000 minutes, 300 texts, and unlimited EDGE and use of T-Mobile's WiFi hotspots. Is it all a sign that they're looking to cut down on inventory ahead of the inevitable?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Fresh off an announcement for an April 14th release, the latest rendition of the Pearl for T-Mobile -- the WiFi-enabled 8120 -- is strutting its stuff in its natural (somewhat natural, anyway) habitat. Casual observers would have an awfully tricky time telling this apart from the Pearl 8100 of yore, but the trained eye will notice a "WiFi" logo chilling on the display and a mildly revised keypad layout here. Probably just a matter of time before T-Mobile has these bad boys in every color of the rainbow, we imagine.

April 14th -- just like we expected, that's the date T-Mobile subscribers will gain access to the WiFi totin' BlackBerry Pearl 8120. Unlike AT&T's offering, that's WiFi for voice and data thanks to T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service. EDGE data, 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5-mm headphone jack, SureType keyboard, and microSD / SDHC expansion for your multimedia round out the specs quite nicely. Now all we need is the price, right T-Mob?

After what feels like an all-too-brief run on the low end of the Hiptop range, the colorful Sidekick iD has unceremoniously disappeared from T-Mobile's retail site. We don't have any intel on whether it's gone for good just yet -- we're working to confirm -- but tell us: was anyone out there, like, totally going to buy an iD today, only to discover (much to your horror, of course) that it had been removed? Please, do share your horror stories with us in comments while we're getting the lowdown on the situation.

[Thanks, Mike]

Update: We've heard back from T-Mobile, and it's true -- the iD is no longer being manufactured, though if you're really lucky, we understand that you still might be able to score one from a store that has some remaining stock. Good luck, shoppers!

We don't know much of anything about these two, but as phoneArena points out, their model numbers suggest that they'll shore up T-Mobile's bottom shelf (so to speak -- we don't think T-Mobile stores really have a bottom shelf, per se). The T229 and T339 look the part, too, though we suppose the squarish T339 has a sorta stately, uptight appearance that we think could pass for a slightly higher-end device. No word on a release date or anything like that, but with any luck, we'll find out a thing or two about 'em at CTIA next week.