When Apple launched the iPhone with AT&T in June, other carriers started scrambling to find something to match it. Today, T-Mobile USA is unveiling the Shadow, a phone that may not be too far off the mark. It has a big screen that slides up to reveal a keypad and has software with eye-catching graphics.

The crucial move was to go beyond what Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and other handset makers typically have provided for T-Mobile’s inventory. Year after year, new-model phones may include higher-resolution screen, different colors or a music player, but rarely do their designs start from scratch.

Sound familiar?

So CEO Robert Dotson hired Leslie Grandy, from Apple, to head up product development for high-end devices.

“Did we target someone from Apple? No. Did we target someone that had the consumer orientation and who was spicy as heck at making things happen in a difficult world? Absolutely,” Dotson said.

“We are not trying to replicate an iPhone,” Dotson said. “It’s a great product and they’ve done a great job, but it’s an experience built around me. It’s a self-indulgent product where I can sit down and have all the experiences that are important to me.”

Instead, he said, the Shadow is about the people who are most important in your lives. “It’s a we-, it’s an us- phone.”

Oh, brotherrr.



  1. MikeInFairfax says:

    A “we” phone and an “us” phone. What an idiot. No thanks, I’ll stick with my self indulgent “Me” phone, I mean iPhone.

  2. Axtell says:

    ‘Did we target someone from Apple?’ Uhm yes, and you hired someone from apple.

    And why exactly would I want a ‘we’ or ‘us’ phone? Are ‘we’ paying for it, are ‘we’ paying the monthly tab? Until that happens, I want a ‘self-indulgent product’ thank you.

  3. BlogKast says:

    They gotta try. If Apple has no competition, you might regret it!

  4. orangefly says:

    i’ll stick with samsung….does everything the iphone does but no at&t and no bricking for making a choice with my property….plus the iphone runs apps from the root user account….anyone gets in through an app they will have total control, including audio and video….
    what a brilliant design….

  5. Matthew says:

    Anyone who uses the word “experience” to describe a phone needs a break from the drugs.

  6. GigG says:

    #3 “anyone gets in through an app they will have total control, including audio and video”

    The iPhone has been out for months now. Is there a single case of that happening?

  7. The Don says:

    #5

    Give it time . . . . .

  8. orangefly says:

    #5
    not that i know of….it’s just a real bad idea….apple is ticking off a lot of the wrong kind of people lately….i think it’s a matter of time….they are on the hacker radar more than they ever have been before….

  9. KagatoAMV says:

    Will it have an App that lets you see what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

  10. Mike Voice says:

    Did we target someone that had the consumer orientation and who was spicy as heck at making things happen in a difficult world?

    “spicy as heck”??

    And I’m going to believe anything else you say, when you are spouting such drivel??

    #4 no bricking for making a choice with my property

    Should be edited to read: no bricking for making a stupid choice with my property

    If you want to unlock it, and walk away from the service contract – and any future support – go right ahead.

    Intentionally hacking the software + whining when the latest update causes problems = not the sharpest tool in the shed.

    And to complain about apps being run in root – out of one side of your mouth – while also complaining that they are taking action to foil any hacks which could make nefarious use of root-level access – out of the other side of your mouth… doesn’t lend you much credibility.

  11. Robert says:

    I wish this CEO would invest more money into getting better phones on this network instead of trying to get a stupid iPhone. The iphone is so damn limited. Why not get a nice Nokia?

    Really! T-Mobile needs to get better hardware for their network.

  12. mark says:

    10. Well said. I also believe that if you bought into the hype, then quit whining and deal with it. If I install an app in Windows that causes a problem (lets use Norton SystemWorks) for an example, do I get mad at MS?


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