T-Mobile

Credits

Descriptions by
Chiagozie Elobuike

Video captures courtesy of
[Camoixa_Fatran]

Background

T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic, Poland, the United States, and by the former subsidiary in the Netherlands.

1st Screen (2002-2005)

Visuals:

• Startup: On a white background, the text "Welcome to" is seen on top. Each letter of •T•••Mobile• zooms out and fades in.
• Shutdown: The top text now says "Goodbye", and the T-Mobile text now zooms in and fades out.

Variants:

• In its early years, the T-Mobile text just fades in and fades out with a wipe.
• Sometimes a URL can be seen below. There are two versions of this variant. One version has a chyroned-in URL. Another has the animation slightly modified. Some differences include the letter i in •T•••Mobile•, and how the letters enter and exit the screen.
• On some T-Mobile Samsung phones from 2006-2007, the startup animation has an error where the animation switches from the normal version to the slightly modified version with the URL. This occured on the very last frame of the animation.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: For the startup, it starts with ascending notes which end in the trademark T-Mobile notes which are C, C, C, E, C. For the shutdown, the same trademark T-Mobile notes but with an octave down and descending notes.

Availability: Seen on American and German T-Mobile phones from 2002-2007. ^[Examples?]

2nd Screen (2003-2006)

Visuals:

• Startup: The T-Mobile wordmark is seen on top, with many gray dots placed below. One of the dots is magenta and keeps moving.
• Shutdown: The T-Mobile wordmark is now below, and now, the dots are on top.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?] Seen on American and European T-Mobile phones from 2003-2007.

3rd Screen (2006-2011, Europe only)

Visuals:

• Startup: On a white background, multiple gray dots come into view. All of them fade out except for one of the top rows. One of the dots flip magenta. The top row then fades out. The T-Mobile wordmark is seen below.
• Shutdown: The animation plays in reverse.

Variants:

• The amount of dots and color combinations vary.
• Occasionally, one of the dots doesn't flip magenta.
• Later phones from 2009-2011 sometimes have a gray gradient background instead of a plain white background, with the T-Mobile logo having a magenta background.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A rearranged version of the T-Mobile trademark jingle.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?] Seen on European T-Mobile phones from 2006-2011.

4th Screen (2007-2012)

Visuals:

• Startup: Just the T-Mobile Hotspot @Home logo.
• Shutdown: Same as startup.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: The startup and shutdown sound of the manufacturer like Samsung or Motorola.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

5th Screen (2008-2011)

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Visuals:

• Startup: Multiple words (gossip, laugh, love, chat, etc.) join in the center of the screen to form a pink box with the words "Stick Together."
• Shutdown: The T-Mobile logo appears while multiple different words fill the background. As the words disappear, the text "Goodbye!" appears.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: New rearrangements of the T-Mobile startup and shutdown jingles as first used on the 2002 screen.

Availability: The screen can be seen on devices such as the Sony Ericsson TM506.