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?
Alot of VZ haters out there….I’m a store manager for them and I agree with the GPS issues but other than that what exactly are these “locking the whole phone down, can’t make a call or take a pic” claims?
This phone will DESTROY the iphone. The curves (even tho a year old on other carriers) have been flying off the shelves, we cannot keep them in stock. EVERYONE is going blackberry! Teenagers to Grandmas….all buying BBs!
Paul, I agree with you. Best selling phone ever! Blackberry has some serious experience and have been doing a damn good job.
So….I’m wondering with the open network initiative, allowing phones that aren’t sold by VZW could you use a vodaphone thunder and have free GPS? Does vodaphone keep their gps open? I pay the $10….not that expensive. Traffic updater, CHEAPEST GAS FINDER……worth it.
If you loaded the ringtone on the card it would have to access the card everytime the phone rang….meaning crappy battery life among other problems. Email it to your#@vzwpix.com as an attachment when you get it, open options, save as ringtone. Won’t work if its to big.
yeah, when will it come out for t-mobile because my t-mobile sales person said that they will have them in about 2 months and it is June now…
is he right?!?!€
BULLSHIT
F.Y.I Apple presented the iPhone to VZW first and VZW turned it down. With the merger with Altell, VZW now has the most customers. No need to break our necks trying to keep up with the iPhone, we exited our Q4 unscaved. Thanks….
Whoever wrote this article is an asshole.
I hope they change the name! Thunder sound’s lame. They should call it iPhone.
I don’t think exclusivity works at all, what are big companies thinking? that this will push more sales?
Whats up with you guys? lets wait untill its on the market before you kill it. If its does what it says on the lable great and we can all get one If not its not the end Untill then Blackberry makes graet phones for all tastes. No I dont work for Blackberry.
Andy
Verizon and AT&T are on two different networks, so you are either with Verizon or you are going to switch.
Give me a break…iphone is the biggest, bulkiest, most overrated phone in cell history. Why would anybody buy that phone??? Oh wait, the bunch of “creative” drones that keep telling you apple is the greatest computer ever will keep buying it…anyway, if you want email, functionality, & compact size there are multiple blackberries to fit that bill. If you like overrated but the apple…if you want something that works but blackberry.
Are you crazy? Although I wont switch from Verizon to get the iPhone, I have to say that it’s a most advanced and nicest phone I’ve every used. Web browsing alone is worth buying it. The keyboard is awesome, too.
Documents to go for Blackberry coming out any day now…..will add seamless MS docs spreadsheets etc. to Blackbery, the last “missing piece” in it’s funcitonality for businesses….now if only they had a prgram that did Quicken on the Blackberry (like Palm’s PocketQuicken prgram !)
Wow. These guys did a great job at copying the looks of the iphone. How innovative. My guess is that actual UI will suck but lets wait and see. Final verdict – Target market = People who hate Apple.
will it exclusively b verizon?? why can’t it be like the bold as far as being with 4 diff networks. UGHH!! i have t-mob.
All the At&t lovers out there need to stop B***ting. You are all like little girls. I say you get off of the computer, take your little iPhone with you into the bedroom, and proceed to do with it what all of you seem to do already…sleep with it!
The Blackberry OS is the most robust, and stable operating system ever introduced into a wireless device. And the greatest thing of all, it has a battery that can changed out by the user, without the need to get a loaner. We can sit here for days discussing why the Blackberry platform is so amazing, but the bottom line is this… the only carrier with a BRIGHT future, is Verizon Wireless. And u wonder why Blackberry chose Verizon. Ha ha. This is great news. One more step in demolishing the “unsuperior carriers” that brainwash the US population with BS.
Cheers all!
Chris,
You’re mistaken about Blackberry having the most robust and stable operating system ever introduced. I own a Blackberry Pearl and I am VERY unimpressed.
iPhone is built on Apple’s OSX operating platform. It’s the OS that has been propelling Apple computer sales to reach record numbers. It’s also the same operating system Windows tried to emulate with Vista. It doesn’t freeze – it’s very operator friendly. It’s been keeping Apple customers very happy for nearly a decade. It’s tried and true. Because iPhone utilizes OSX, I would argue that iPhone has the most robust and stable operating system ever introduced.
damn there are some dumb ass posts on here….look retarts, VZW is by far the best carrier and will continue to be. no it wont be open to other carriers, if u want the phone, switch, if not STFU. its BB, of course it’ll sell and no verizon doesn’t strip nething, dumbasses go 2 an ATT or Tmobile store n use a bb, then do the same at verizon, SAME SHIT! diff networks…i didn’t realize there wer so many ignorant ppl out there
I agree with Chris on this one. As a BlackBerry user myself I cant wait for these things to be release. The iphone well. Its amazing. Change the way people use their phone. Paving the way for companies building their own type of touch screen phone. My friend has a touch screen. It was imported from china. Good thing about that is. Its has a camera and web cam build in with a mp3 player. Loud speakers at that. I Kinda think that the ipone just has that edge look to it. But when it comes down to it. The BlackBerry is just sweeter.
ps dont me mad at me because I didn’t fall for the ipone tricky marketing scam. Damn. Over $400 when it was released now only $200 and faster. HA!!
Looks very much like the iPhone, but where is the trackball. yeah, it is a touch screen but there are some things a trackball does better. Love my Blackberry Pearl.
Also, I suspect that Apple & at&t deal works both ways. If Apple can only sell through at&t, at&t can only sell Apple’s touch screen phone. That is why we have not seen any other touch screen device from at&t that come close to the iPhone.
As far as locking the phones is concerned, the whole industry is moving toward completely unlocking all phones. You would be able to buy any phone from anywhere and activate it on the carrier of your choice, with compatible technology off course. Lets hope all the carriers agree and the FCC approves.
I’ve touched and seen it in gsm form……the verizon exclusive rumors are just that…
Never Say Never! What you just said is amazing. You must live in a very negative world friend. Do you always shoot down the possible success of others? Hope you have a large appetite because you will have to eat these words. Let’s say around Q4 2008…
…signed the Un-Silent Majority
PS> Who has the best wireless network in the U.S. and soon to be the largest this year?
Sounds exciting! Does this device also support voip? Would blackberry provide the voip setup software?
Would love to know!
Thanx
How much is this phone going to cost anyway?
normal, every phone is made in gsm first but keep in mind that gsm is a lt slower than CDMA as for data speed. Regardless how much time you wait, the question is quality and not the fact that a company as it before another one. i would go with Verizon or sprint befor at&t for data phones. Get your fact straight baba, a phone that price is not for fun, it’s for productivity and to also GSM users have 90% more chance to die of brain cancer because of the gsm technology which was the first digital network invented.