T-Mobile Adds Its Own Touch To Its Flagship Android Device

T Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

As Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android phones flood the market, the hardware is largely what sets them apart.

Keeping that in mind, T-Mobile USA has hired an internal team of 20-or-so software developers to make its flagship phone — the myTouch 3G — stand out from all the rest. The practice of modifying the user interface is more common among handset-makers, like HTC and Samsung, making this an unusual example of a carrier tailoring the phone’s experience for their subscribers.

In the past, it’s been common for carriers to develop portals for the phone, where users can download games or watch TV. Increasingly, they have also created smartphone applications that allow users to check their phone bill or in the case of AT&T (NYSE: T) lets users mark the spot where a phone call was dropped. But in this case, T-Mobile has built three special features, including work and life themes, a way to highlight 20 favorite contacts, and integrated voice commands.

The special features will be available on T-Mobile’s next phone from the myTouch franchise. The device, built by HTC, is called the myTouch 3G Slide because of its full slide-out keyboard. The company announced the phone today, but it won’t be available until sometime in June. T-Mobile is holding back the exact release date and how much it costs.

T-Mobile has developed several individual applications for its Android phones, such as My Account, AppPack, HotSpot Connect and Visual Voicemail, but these services have been integrated into the phone — one even required a button. Desmond Smith, a T-Mobile product developer walked me through the three new features:

Faves Gallery: This is an evolution of MyFaves, which was eliminated not too long ago when unlimited voice plans made free calling to five individuals unnecessary. This application is a hub where you can connect to your 20 most favorite people. The application allows you to flip from one individual to the next. When a person appears, their picture takes up most of the screen and shows the person’s must recent status update from Facebook. There’s also short cuts to call, text message, or email them.

myModes: This is a way T-Mobile envisions people being able to create a work/life balance. One mode can be called work, and can have work email front and center, and perhaps a more professional wallpaper. The home mode could push work email to the background and emphasis your child’s photo. Other options could be mid-week or weekend themes. The phone can store up to 10 modes. The modes can be automatically changed, but more interestingly, they can be time sensitive or location-based.

Genius Button: This is the feature that required a hard button on the phone. In the above picture it is the yellow-ish button on the bottom-right of the device. Once the button is touched, the device starts “listening” and the user can use voice commands to control the phone. This includes making calls, composing and sending texts and e-mails, and searching the Web or a map. If you say “Turn driving mode on,” the Genius service will automatically read text messages aloud when they come in. For now, the button emphasizes how to do four commands for simplicity sake, but users can also turn on and off Bluetooth and WiFi. To discover new features, the user can say “Surprise me,” and the electronic voice will teach you a new command. The voice-recognition is provided by Nuance Communication, not Google as one might suspect.

Unfortunately, this phone can’t just be judged based on the new features. The specifications also are important, especially since its summer release timeframe may mean it will be competing against a new iPhone.

Here’s some of the major specs:

— Slide out QWERTY keyboard
— Swype for easy text input
— 5.0-megapixel camera
— Pre-installed 8 GB microSD card, upgradable to 32 GB
— 3.4

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