14 DAY TRIAL // After the success of T-Mobile's Shadow smartphone, the fourth largest mobile carrier in the US will apparently come pretty soon with a new Shadow, simply (and somehow obviously) named T-Mobile Shadow II. Most probably, the new handset is manufactured by HTC, like the first model, released back in October 2007.
Although it resembles the original Shadow, Shadow II is more rounded and more glossy looking, hence it could be the next fashion-meets-usability hit to come from T-Mo.
There are no details about the new Shadow, but from the leaked picture with it we can tell the handset will come with MyFaves, T-Mobile's popular data plan, as well as with the HotSpot@Home service (hence the phone is Wi-Fi enabled). Moreover, the new Shadow will run on what it seems to be a modified version of Windows Mobile (6.0 or maybe even 6.1).
Knowing that the first Shadow has a sliding QWERTY keypad, Shadow II could hide a similar one under its display. As for its other features, they will probably be better than those of the original device, so we can expect at least a 2 Megapixel camera, advanced music features, a decent internal memory and a long-lasting battery. Hopefully, the new Shadow will also bring 3G connectivity, since T-Mobile's 3G network should be functional soon.
If current rumors are right, T-Mobile Shadow II should hit the stores in the third quarter of 2008. The first Shadow is available for $149, with a T-Mo contract agreement, so, taking a wild guess, the Shadow II will cost about $200 on a contract. In the end, its price depends on how many extra features it includes. Its design is obviously better than the one of the original Shadow, so we can only hope the technical specs will also be improved.