BlackBerry Thunder: after the storm
We caused a little commotion when we posted the above shot last week. No it’s not a mock-up, dummy. But, there have been a flood of questions about the BlackBerry Thunder (remember, this is still a codename) so we’ll answer the most important ones for you. First off, yes there is a SIM card slot and it is under the battery of the device. Under the battery is also a microSD slot, so don’t expect it to rock a ton of internal memory out of the box. As far as release date is concerned, we’re still hearing Q3 of this year on Big Red. The cool part, though? It looks like the chip they are using supports almost everything. CDMA 1x, EV-DO, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and HSPA. Any other questions? We’ll be here all day! Just drop a comment.
I’ve heard that Bell will be getting this device…
BGR, couple questions for you:
Screen Material – Glass / Plastic?
iTunes integration?
Keyboard Orientation – Portrait/Landscape/Both
Any idea about color options?
Any or all answers/hints would be great!!
1st of all… Boy Genius you guys have made My day Today Personally. Here’s why: When you guys dropped that Mock-up of the Thunder I told My Facebook FRIENDS this is what the Future MAY look like. I got hated on by one girl in particular. Today I just discovered the Photo you posted[2 days ago]and Created a Whole Album around it! Now she has to EAT those Words! You’ve made my Day!
Now on to the real talk…
Re: Sept Release for the Thunder. It was My understanding that the 9500 is more than likely to arrive Q1 2009.
However.. with the release of the New iphone & the upcoming Christmas season. Its hard to see how they wouldn’t want to take advantage at such a peak sales time.
What My Question to anyone who knows: I believe Telus in Canada is partnered with Verizon [at least carrying over its Canadian subscribers]
Does that mean Telus will get First Crack at an Exclusive?
Thanks Jordan!
As I’ve been just told by my CEO. The Fiscal Quarter can go forward or back.
The actual STANDARD Quarter You mentioned does NOT change. And the Calendar you laid out is used for Product releases.
So Continue Schooling!
Sorry Josh!
Old Bluetooth,
Give your head a shake, your saying RIM has no marketing sense, I disagree, they dominate the market.
Anyhoo, I will have a Rogers Bold on the best 3G network way before you have one on subpar AT&T! LOL
Need a clarification:
Is 3G simply browser speed or is it a new network like evdo, gsm etc.
Have T-mo and wondering about unlock status for the 3 new BB’s and compatibility.
There are other related questions so please elaborate and be detailed.
Thanks
On the topic of quarters — any properly incorporated company (at least in the US, and I do realize RIM is a Canadian company) can define their own fiscal quarters. That is to say, a company’s fiscal Q1 can be from March 17th to June 16th if the company chooses it to be so and registers it accordingly.
For product release dates communicated to the market/public, however, companies will almost always use calendar quarters. (Communicating earnings expectations to the market/public – different story … they’ll use the company’s fiscal quarters).
Hope this clears things up.
BG:
Any idea on the release date for the Bold on AT&T? I am positive that you would post it the second you knew, but if its going to be months away – like Sept. would you tell us?
June 25 for the 9000 is my guess
To clarify…Verizon is geting the Thunder first then the Bold(Niagra) later on.
When’s the giveaway???
@ boy genius will definatlywork in north korea (they have a WCDMA net work for use for their goverment vip’s
You know whats funny? BlackBerry people, and people from other carriers LIKE VERIZON did endless bashing on iPhone because “the device is crap blackberry is better because iPhone has no keyboard!”
Now … RIM is making a keyboardless BlackBerry for VERIZON, and now all of a sudden everyone is okay with it not having a keyboard? So … were VZW people just whining and crying about the keyboardless iPhone because they were jealous they werent getting it?
What a bunch of sorry hypocrits.
Good things come in threes actually
All I wanna know is since when was CDMA first for anything lol.
Notice all the touchscreen devices popping up VZW, makes me wonder how much VZW forked over to be the exclusive on the very first touch BlackBerry.
I’m a BlackBerry user, but all this seems to be iPhone envy on VZW’s behalf.
its funny how a mock up can look exactly like the real thing. really shows how boring looking this device is and the lack of creativity rim has. i am a cdma user and have been for life and i wont go near this thing. it looks like a bold without a keyboard.
raphael htc dream are the only upcoming cdma handsets of interest
i work at an investment firm and our second quarter reports come out at the end of June… first quarter ended March 31st
That being said, will this device pick up the ladies?
this one looks like photoshop – the top of phone looks exactly like EV-DO Blackberry 9000 (Javelin and Niagara) – http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/blackberry-9000-to-come-in-ev-do-and-edge-versions-codenamed-jav/
I thought ATT was the carrier for iPhone…….oh wait! that is an iPhone, isn’t it??
@ Christopher Cox,
I’m sure it isn’t the same people. Thanks for stirring the pot with your useless comment.
ummm … last time i checked it went like this
Q1 Jan, Feb, Mar
Q2 Apr, May Jun,
Q3 July, Aug, Sep
Q4 Oct, Nov, Dec
@james
Oh no … I’m sure its the same people. Ive talked to a few VZW people in person that bashed the iPhone because it had no keyboard, but can’t wait to get the Thunder becaue now, its okay it does not have a keyboard … because it is on Verizon. Its quite pathetic.
@Christopher Cox
James is right, just because the two people you talked to have been hypocritical, it doesn’t constitute enough people to make such a generalized comment. I dislike the iphone because of its lack of keyboard, and I dislike the thunder because of its lack of keyboard as well. Your 3 friends don’t count as general consensus.
@ Verizon Guy…….are you saying there is a third Blackberry phone coming to Verizon?