Motorola Shadow is Nexus Two with sliding QWERTY keyboard?

Fan-made render? Very possible, but we're intrigued by the notion. The gang at Mobile01 have laid out two more photos of what is being called the Motorola Shadow (not to be confused with the T-Mobile Shadow), which in a nutshell looks like Droid / Milestone with a white keyboard and wrist strap. Even more interesting is the assertion that this could be Google's next flagship device, here lovingly dubbed the Nexus Two. Now while there is no way to corroborate at this point, we could totally buy this as feasible. After all, what better way to complement the Nexus One slate than with one with physical QWERTY? And who better than the company whose Android 2.0 device increased the platform's mindshare at supersonic speeds, with a CEO willing to signify support even at the launch event for a competitor's product? Color us curious -- wrist strap-laden render after the break

[Thanks, Serge]

[M3 Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:06PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO
Steve Jobs CEO.... Is that like Paul Blart: Mall Cop ?

[Widgetech Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:09PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO

1. Hello? You should be "iCEO"! God.
2. Apple needs to dump AT&T before anyone will like the iPhone again. Also, the UI (and even the same-old hardware from 3G to 3Gs. We want colour!) gets boring. Everything just seems like it has been the same with iPhone for like 2 years now.
3. webOS and Android are amazing. The handsets just need to improve. (The Pre and the Hero (verizon) look the best IMHO.)
4. Yes, I know that you're he's not really Steve Jobs, people.

[Widgetech Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:13PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO

*sigh*, I need to drink more coffee... Starbucks?

Correction:

"4. Yes, I know he's not really Steve Jobs, people."

[TheRogueFFAngel Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:18PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO

The sad part is that if this is true Google managed to make the 2nd version of what's supposedly a flagship device even more uglier than the first...

[TheRogueFFAngel Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:22PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO

To be more clear I hate the wrist strap, that god awful color combination, and the stupid d-pad within the keyboard.

And if the keyboard is as horrible as the droid then the device fails big time.

[Widgetech Posted Jan 16th 2010 6:27PM]

@TheRogueFFAngel
I love the wrist strap and the colour scheme! The brown and red they chose go well together, if a bit dull... but it looks classy.

But isn't the red only a wallpaper? You could change it to brown+anycolouryouwant, right? (I'm sure you could buy another wriststrap to match the wallpaper you use... or just, uh, REMOVE THE WRISTSTRAP if you DON'T LIKE IT. Maybe. Just a thought.)

I agree on the keyboard though. Looks cheap+plastic-y.

[TheRogueFFAngel Posted Jan 16th 2010 6:50PM]

@Steve Jobs CEO

I think it's the cheap plastic white color that they chose for the interior of the phone that's disgusting.

On top of that I see no reason to make this phone look like a huge inflated keychain accessory...

You're right about the red of course. But in this picture it looks fugly when next to that white.

Lastly I hate the keyboard on the Droid (as well as th slow browser). So if this phone is similar in regard it will just be another wannabe iPhone killer.

[Knolly Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:51PM]

FUND IT.

Seriously, I want this to happen so badly. I would get that phone in a second.

[ale Posted Jan 17th 2010 2:22PM]

@Knolly
you..... may wanna pick up a Droid while you're waiting
They look...... very similar

[stephenh Posted Jan 17th 2010 11:22PM]

@ale
the difference is this keyboard looks far less janky.

[jovilynovavich Posted Jan 19th 2010 1:48AM]

@stephenh We hope that Motorola will make good android and reincarnate their brand finally. I think that they don’t invest money into development. After iphone all companies just wakeup. .. so they are doing this to ressurect the dying moto company? More details about the shadowy phone: http://bit.ly/motorola-mirage-shadow-on-the-loose

[mrmichaelwill Posted Jan 26th 2010 2:58PM]

@stephenh I find it to look just as bad as the Droids. I am one of the early adopters of the G1, and tried both nexus and droid to see if I would upgrade - the keyboard is the #1 reason why I won't.

HTC's g1 has a pretty good keyboard for the formfactor, and the slide-out mechanism is just cool. I only use the onscreen keyboard for very short messages, anything that requires real typing I always flip out the real keyboard.

When I tried to use the droids keyboard it performed worse than the onscreen keyboard. I think it was added to the device only as a checkmark-item - yes we have it. Nobody will use it since it sucks, but it is there for looking good when comparing specs.

So I keep praying that we'll see a hardware refresh of the G1, with its full qwerty keyboard with a proper number row on top, but with say a snapdragon 1Ghz cpu and faster sd interface.

More details on http://mrmichaelwill.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/nexus-one-n1-comparison-to-g1-android-phone/

[Eugene Action Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:51PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3EmA-eJPxs

[PENISCRUSHER Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:51PM]

NEW WII CONTROLLER!

[ChazClout Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:53PM]

I like it! Fake render or not, Nexus Two Does.

[Canucker Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:18PM]

@ChazClout
This will get confusing soon for most consumers* if the Nexus moniker is applied to each new "GooglePhone" from different OEMs. Do Android phones dream of eclectic names?

*unlike Engadget readers who can likely recite every code-name version of every Nokia phone ever created.

[joelaf Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:20PM]

@Canucker

That would be electronic sheep, coming soon from Nokia on a verizon network. Code name BladeRunner

[mattman6 Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:54PM]

A wrist strap? Seriously?

[Edobe Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:12PM]

@mattman6 "The nexus 2, It's a phone, mobile computer, and the perfect accessory for your favorite red outfit"

[R Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:25PM]

@mattman6
I hate to admit it, but I wish phone makers would stop removing the strap hole on phones. Where else can I attach my Vader cell phone charm? LOL.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/c99c/

[Alexandertron Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:26PM]

@mattman6 I particularly really like the idea of a wrist strap. i like this render a whole lot. it would be so different to have it protruding like that. i think it looks sheek and modern. If they made this phone and put the D-pad on the other side. i would buy it for a high price. 600 bucks. My gadget don't need to be metal. i would prefer durable plastic.

[High Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:28PM]

@mattman6

Well lets face it, Android users aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

[Average White Boy Posted Jan 16th 2010 6:19PM]

@mattman6

What, they think some dude is going to dangle this phone from his wrist? They have got to be kidding. Now I know for certain Motorola does not know what the hell it is doing. Might as well just drape it in velvet. It must be made for a neck lanyard but surely not one's wrist.

[badasscat Posted Jan 16th 2010 6:22PM]

@Average White Boy New to the whole cell phone strap thing, aren't ya?

You don't dangle the phone from your friggin' wrist. You dangle the strap from the phone. It's a fashion accessory.

You can make fun of it all you want, but this is a HUGE industry in Japan and there's no reason it couldn't be here as well. There is a large amount of money to be made on cell phone straps and the US market just hasn't figured it out yet.

[YpoCaramel Posted Jan 17th 2010 1:30AM]

@Alexandertron For practical purposes I find a wrist strap useful if using it on the street to stop someone from knowing the phone out of your hand.

Of course, I do live in Asia, and yes, the phone strap industry is huge, and they're really cool straps, especially for the ladies.

[sethmo Posted Jan 18th 2010 9:25AM]

@mattman6
Maybe the phone is waterproof and you use the strap when you go on water rides at amusement parks ... Idk, Im digging pretty deep here.

[Mr Magoo Posted Jan 28th 2010 5:29PM]

@mattman6

Yup Asia is where tha strap action is....

[Giac Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:54PM]

Looks really nice...what I don't get is why there's still a dpad like on the droid. Seriously you don't need one on a touch screen.

[jwarrent Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:20PM]

@Giac
Maybe they're hoping for a nice library of games..

[McPOW Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:28PM]

@Giac I like dpads and trackballs, and yes, even on a touchscreen phone. Try using a unix shell without one. They are terrific for gaming, moving around in and selecting text and for choosing links in a tiny little webpage.

[TareG Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:32PM]

@Giac
I have one words for you: EMULATORS.

[Konrad Posted Jan 16th 2010 5:13PM]

@Giac You don't need one, but it's nice to have it.

[ethana2 Posted Jan 16th 2010 6:45PM]

Sonic the Hedgehog

[DougieBear Posted Jan 16th 2010 8:50PM]

@Giac

And I'm guessing you don't need a keyboard either?

[impulsive2urge Posted Jan 17th 2010 8:04AM]

@(Unverified)

yeah because it's touchcreen.. lawl!

[ZekeWeeks Posted Jan 17th 2010 4:53PM]

@TareG If a decent one would come out, yes. Last I checked, the performance on them was pretty dismal.

I think the real change for android gaming is upcoming, now that there are some real 3D APIs in the OS. I don't know if they'll make much use of the D-pad, though, because of the differing device form factors. We have yet to find out how well the Android marketplace will address different hardware capabilities. Hopefully it gets handled better than it was on Windows Mobile.

[lv2bll54 Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:56PM]

we all like this phone, but we all know googles sticking with htc for n2

[lv2bll54 Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:58PM]

@lv2bll54
this is probably and early render of the droid 2
why would google go with moto after they've hotten soo much from htc(Dream, Saphire, Hero, N1)

[Dogcowsaysmoof Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:20PM]

@lv2bll54 Actually, Google said that the Nexus program was going to incorporate a variety of manufacturers in order to showcase the very best Android phones.

[shadowj0 Posted Jan 16th 2010 9:30PM]

@lv2bll54

Ahem... DROID IS FROM MOTO.

That's why. Case closed.

[Relsek Posted Mar 6th 2010 3:51PM]

@shadowj0 Except that Droid is specifically a Verizon branding. If this is the Nexus 2, it would likely be released on more than just one carrier.

[Michael Scrip Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:56PM]

Please, oh please, can someone make a smartphone with dedicated number keys?

[Agenor Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:08PM]

@Michael Scrip
it's called the HTC Touch Pro 2

[BacteriaEP Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:09PM]

@Michael Scrip

G1 has dedicated number keys.

[Napsterking Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:40PM]

@Michael Scrip
Samsung Moment?

[Kirtay Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:56PM]

@Michael Scrip:
I hear you.
I think he means more like...modern OS-es.
Although the TP2 is pretty sweet.

[durthquake Posted Jan 17th 2010 3:28PM]

@Michael Scrip

Samsung Moment from Sprint has dedicated numbers, and i fund with the arrow keys on keyboard makes it very easy to send emails or just fill in forms on websites by arrowing down or by going to a certain spot in a text area!

[ango Posted Jan 16th 2010 3:57PM]

ultra slow moto with carbon fiber?

[bigcow05 Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:04PM]

@ango
I think thats the speaker, but yeah, not sure why manufacturers are so keen on incorporating carbon fiber into small gadgets.

[McPOW Posted Jan 16th 2010 4:30PM]

@bigcow05 because carbon fiber is 5x as strong as steel but much lighter.