BlackBerry Thunder, the touchscreen BlackBerry we’ve all been waiting for
Since we were the first ones to break the news about a touchscreen BlackBerry device, it’s only fitting that we follow up and give y’all the real lowdown on it! This is going to excite a lot of people, but anger many. Are you ready? The BlackBerry Thunder, as it is codenamed now, (all you "reporting" on it as the Storm are incorrect) will launch in Q3 of this year. It is a full touchscreen BlackBerry — no slide out keyboard — with only 4 physical keys. Those are the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key. Here is the most interesting part, though: it will launch as a worldwide lifetime exclusive on Verizon and Vodafone! We’ve heard the unit will be a hybrid device with CDMA EV-DO Rev. C (for clarification, Rev C., known as UMB is practically dead. If the device will indeed launch with a 4G solution, our bet is on LTE), and GSM HSPA for traveling internationally. Verizon and Vodafone will have the same unit. Currently, the model number is the BlackBerry 9500, though it’s very early and that’s likely to change. This is HUGE for the Verizon lovers. For once they’ll get an exclusive device, but Verizon will have a sales quota for the device and if they don’t meet those numbers, we’ve heard the exclusivity will then dissolve and it’s over. This will be extremely interesting to see play out.
P.S. No, you morons, the image above is not real. Didn’t we go through this once before?
P.P.S. For futher clarification about the whole LTE thing, the chip might support it, but that does not mean the network will be ready by any means…OK?
If it is a flop I am sure someone will be able to decert and unlock this phone for all GSM carriers in the US. Just like the i930 for NEXTEL, they have a ton of people out there using them on T-Mob and ATT. If it has a place for a sim someone will figure out how to use it. I use an i930 and and curve both on ATT.
Permalink | Reply
Blackberry recently realized that people like good looking phones
What a great realization ! Pearl, Curve ( Bold also ?) are beautiful. So is this.
But, I am a fan of Windows, not Blackberry - a closed system.
Permalink | Reply
Of course its gonna win. The curve is a fraction of the cost of an IPhone and its a more established phone.
Permalink | Reply
Pass on the whole touch screen thing. My friend has an iPhone and he says he is constantly having issues with pressing the correct keys.
Permalink | Reply
exclusivity is stupid … i refuse to switch to of all wireless companies, Verizon, to get that phone … and I really want that phone … if this is true … it is not a good move on RIM part … Verizon has bad service and like others have said … a phone that advanced needs to have all the features available and it brings the worth down if the features are stripped
Permalink | Reply
i love this phone nice invention hope u make more so i can get e-mail when a different one comes out
Permalink | Reply
Does anyone have any comments about the RIM desktop interface? I’ve not used a blackberry before, and am thinking of purchasing the “curve” 8330″, “bold” or “thunder” for work/life. I currently have an HP handheld with Windows mobile (what a mess), and use Missing Sync to sync to my Mac OS desktop iLife tools. I use the desktop interface A LOT at work. It’s probably as important to me as the phone/device interface. I used to use the Palm desktop and device, and thought it was well organized. I’m wondering how the blackberry with Mac OS works? Do cross-platform nightmares await? It appears that I’ll have to use Missing Sync again, because RIM does not support blackberry desktop apps for Mac. I’d be o.k. ditching the iLife tools. They are O.K. but a little lacking in business savvy. Any comments by experienced users would be welcome.
Permalink | Reply
Yes, but the Sprint and Verizon Curves have 3G data.
The GSM models are EDGE, but add wi-fi.
Pick your phone by features and software.
Permalink | Reply
Is everyone here taking crazy pills or what? Did you all forget that VZW PASSED on the iPhone? There is a reason the manufactures come to VZW first. This will be a buisness class phone for a buisness class network!
Permalink | Reply
VZW DOES cripple their Blackberries. Example: OBEX is disabled on the VZW Curve.
Permalink | Reply
an IPhone Copycat….
Permalink | Reply
Too Late! I will replace my 8707 3G that never worked for a 3G iphone by the time it is available. Also I am fed up with JVM errors…
Permalink | Reply
no you idiot
Permalink | Reply
ANY NEWS ON THE RELEASE DAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! ANYBODY THAT KNOWS FOR CERTAIN PLEASE SAY SOMETHING I AM DYING FOR THIS PHONE TO COME OUT!!!!
Permalink | Reply
While this may be cool in theory, I think that Blackberry is trying to jump on the iphone wannabe bandwagon here and missing the boat.
The #1 reason BB users love BBs is because they are superlative at what they do: real-time email access. No other device does it as well as BB.
Now think about how a touch screen, sans-keyboard fits into that: here’s a hint, it doesnt. Even apple’s virtual keyboard is nowhere NEAR a real, live physical keyboard when it comes to composing a message longer than “my iphone pwns u lozers!!! har”. By removing the keyboard, they have severely crippled what has always been BB’s most critical asset - its usability as an email device. Its kind of like putting a racing engine in a pickup truck at the expense of the cargo bed: maybe sexy but hardly practical.
If I wanna be a yuppie fanboy, I’ll go get a proper iphone. When I actually need to get some work done, give me a usuable device, like all the past full-keyboard BBs have always been.
Permalink | Reply
no u cant i tried getting the iphone from at&t and connect it to verizon but the guy said verizon and at&t are totaly different companies its like trying to put a tape in a dvd player so if it didnt work for the iphone im guesssing it wont work for the blackberry thunder
Permalink | Reply
There’s been alot of discussion over the touch screen v.s the keyboard, email and the whole works..i own an iphone, the touch screen keyboard while it took some getting used to, works fine, email works as well as any other..but the iphone is mostly an entertainment phone..what i am wanting is a phone that can be a business phone when i need it and open word, excel, powerpoint files, but also an entertainment phone for when i am not working, for my movies, music and video. Theres no one out that has come close, you loose something in the process, i.e storage, keyboard or software.. when will we get a phone that connects us with everthing all in one? ive looked at nokia n95 & 96, the htc touch diamond & pro, ad the iphone, which falls short on business apps.. all of the phones are good in their own right wether touch or not..they are just all lacking the total package..but the most promising seem to be the htc brands..will hold the old iphone until someone out there gets it right
Permalink | Reply
They need to remove the logo’s from the from of the handset.i think it makes the companies seemed insecure. Espcially Verizon. You dont want to think about your service provider when you look at the phone.
Permalink | Reply
the iphone 2.0 was just announced today, at a lower price than blackberries usually are. This is good for the consumer because RIM will be forced to lower prices and might be smarter than apple by picking up flash support. I do like the touchscreen version, but there are too many small things apple messed up on the second time around.
Permalink | Reply
I hope that this exclusive stuff is bs…because i have t-mobile and i got the blackberry pearl and i love it to death…and this phone looks like it could actually compete with the i phone but if its with verizon RIM isnt going to make much of a profit off of it
Permalink | Reply
I HAVE ONE
ITS AMAZING.
Permalink | Reply
Ain’t it the truth - but most people are in the dark and not aware of the features and capabilities that Verizon locks out. People developing for the phone are the first to scratch their heads when testing on the Verizon network/phones.
Permalink | Reply
WOW! They finally caught up to iPhone… just a year and 1/2 later! Looks like RIM is comfortable living in the shadow of Apple…
Permalink | Reply
WOW! Mac lovers are the biggest morons known to man.
Permalink | Reply
The exclusive privilage of phones with blackberry switch from carrier to carrier, the reason why we dont work with apple is because of the product they produce. Apple I phones require normaly above average maintinence and servicing. Verizon Phones never require you to send them in exchanges are done in store. ONE STOP. Apple will continue to modify there versions of the same phone as to where verizon has serveral different varietys of phone’s, LG, Sam, Mot, RIM. RIM is a canadian owned company who make excellent devices for many carriers, Did ATT have 2 versions of the pearl, why yes they did. Where verizon had the exclusive release of the 8130 pearl. Verizon Launched UNL plans 1 month prior to every one else. Sprint stock is on a plumit while tmobile is average, VZW and ATT are neck and neck. All services will come to unlimited minutes period but rely on Services and data packages you choose. Ive worked wireless for 8 years and have a meeting with RIM on the 24th. Maybe ill leak info.
Permalink | Reply