T-Mobile Turns the Spotlight on the Shadow

T-Mobile wants buyers to think of its new Shadow as a stripped down smart phone: powerful, but without the suit and tie.

T-Mobile continued its tradition of introducing phones exclusive to its network (ala the Sidekick) on Monday with the introduction of the ominously named Shadow. Developed through a partnership with cell phone manufacturer HTC, the Shadow is being billed as a full-featured phone without the burdensome applications and stiff feel of a productivity phone.

“This phone is designed for people who have lives beyond work,” said T-Mobile CEO Robert Dotson, in a statement. Driving home that point, the Shadow has even been branded “The official phone of fun” in T-Mobile’s marketing.

The Shadow has a slider form factor with a large exterior screen that shifts away to reveal a 20-key numeric pad. While the numbers are laid out traditionally, each key on shares only two letters, and they are laid out in a QWERTY configuration for ease of text input. On the back, a 2.0-megapixel camera provides photo capabilities.

While it shares the same Windows Mobile 6 interface of many smart phones, it has been tweaked and cleaned up. For instance, the myFaves screen allows users to call, send an e-mail, text or instant message, or share a picture, video or voice note with one button. Navigating through menus is accomplished with a spin wheel.

Of course, like any new connectivity phone, the Shadow gets both a Wi-Fi radio and data access through the cell carrier. No 3G Internet here, though. T-Mobile users will have to settle for EDGE.

The Shadow will arrive in T-Mobile retail stores on October 31 in both its copper and sage variants. The phones will go for $149.99 with a two-year contract that includes both voice and data, or $199 with a voice-only contract.