BlackBerry Storm 9530 is BlackBerry Thunder, BlackBerry Thunder is BlackBerry Storm, for realz
That was a nice roller-coaster ride, no? Our main man Chris Zigz over at Engadget Mobile scored actual BlackBerry Storm packaging renders, and well, the BlackBerry Storm doesn’t look to bringing that much rain. If we read the box correctly, it seems as if there is an 8GB microSD card pre-installed (totally weak in our opinion), a 3.5mm headset jack, pre-installed SIM card, and no Wi-Fi. It is indeed a global phone, as stated on the box, our original scoop, and the SIM card bit (duh!), but other intricate details are unavailable at this time. Oh yeah, the name! Here is the break down on that: the BlackBerry Storm is for Verizon, and the BlackBerry Thunder is the name for the device on other carriers such a Rogers and Vodafone. Wait, Rogers? So much for that huge exclusivity. We guess RIM realized they’d only have a limited run with Verizon being the sole carrier in North America, and we’re not so sure about having different names for the same device. It’s one thing to have different model numbers for the slightest variations (read: wack), but for the same device? Oh well. We’re still holding true to our rumored mid-September marketing blitz and mid-October release date on Verizon Wireless.
make that “highest capacity MICROsd card you can buy today.”
You are correct. I have an 8GB microsd card in my mogul and am waiting for the 12GB card to come out.
Since it will run on Rogers networks, does that mean an unlocked Rogers phone might work on an ATT network? Aren’t Rogers and ATT the same technology – or not?
@spragga – I’m so confused… what do you mean by ‘noone?’ Is that a time of day or reference to people or persons? It appears you my friend are confusing folks around here and not The Boy Geniotch! (How’s that for some confusion?)
Thanks biotches!
If they’re going to go head-to-head with the iPhone, they may as well go all the way and really stick it to Apple.
They need to name these things the iThunder and the iStorm. They’ll sell like hotcakes (which, supposedly, sell like crazy).
I know this may be a stupid question for you all, but without Wi-Fi, does that mean you can’t get onto the internet using the Blackberry Storm/Thunder? Or does it mean, that you’re Blackberry won’t be considered a Wi-Fi hotspot, ie: you can’t use your laptop’s internet by having your BB around. Please tell me that you will be able to go on the internet on the Storm. As I’m typing it, I realize that, that should be correct but I want to verify. Thanks!
Frank – you most certainly can get on the internet, but only by using Verizon’s service. Which is pretty speedy, by the way.
But say you were in an area with no cell signal and you wanted to go online – some phones would let you connect to an available wi-fi signal. This one apparently won’t. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I will let others decide.
Thanks so much. Oh I see, so wherever you have Verizon signal, you will have internet on the BB; however, if you aren’t in a Verizon zone (which would be hard to do), you wouldn’t be able to pick up another wi-fi service. Thanks again
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
why are people saying there is no wifi?
there might not be wifi but there is no spec list on the box, it is a list of what is inside the box that you can use to infer some specs.
if we make assumptions off that list there is no wifi, bluetooth, camera, speakerphone etc.
why does verizon(Blackberrys) always drop the ball on including all the features. I have been waiting for this unit. Not sure that wait is worth it now.
Hmm, me wonders if there are indeed two models with very different specs:
Model A: Quad band GSM/Tri band HSUPA/Wi-Fi
Model B: Quad band GSM/Dual band HSUPA/EVDO Rev A
@ Ryan: GPS removed? Where are you hearing that Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm/Thunder has GPS removed??? Not true. In fact, business reps are saying this device will actually support autonomous GPS (i.e. not locked down)
I’ll believe that when I see it… you mean like how the xv6800 6.1 update was supposed to unlock GPS?
I’m calling BS on that one until the phone is in my hand using unlocked GPS.
@ Mike,
Do you know of a Tmo, ATT, or Sprint blackberry, that includes all of the features(wifi, 3G, and GPS)? Besides the upcoming Bold?
@ Old Man:
Maybe “stuck” was a bad word choice. But the 12GB and up MicroSDHC cards are late with nary a word on why and when they will come out.
It could be technological trouble, financial trouble or just the Chinese manufacturer had to limit production for the Olympics. The only iota of info I found on when is an availability date listed on a British tech reseller. That listed December 31, 2008. It’s probably wrong.
So right around the corner means nothing. You have 8GB right now. That’s fine, you can update. But the average lifespan on a phone for me is 6 months. By the time 16GB cards come out, I’ll be on to something else and unless that has a MicroSDHC, it does me no good.
They could of put a regular SDHC slot in it and allowed 32GB.
@ MadMike,
Cellphones use microsd cards in this technologically advanced era that we are in. So, having 8GB, which is the highest capacity microsd card is excellent. And the average lifespan for a phone for you means absolutely nothing. These phones come with 2 year agreements, so I would think most customers think in the long run, not 6 months. And in the long run, it’s better to have the highest removable/upgradeable memory, than high internal memory that can’t be removed or upgraded.
So..what about some GPS?! Wonder what the case will be there??
Actually it was broken by Crackberry, I saw it there around 9:30pm EST last night, then on Engadget, and finally on BGR.
By “it” i mean this story.
that’s what I’m thinking, but with GPS and WCDMA on both models
OK, reply is useless. I was responding to Verizon Guy, who wrote:
“Hmm, me wonders if there are indeed two models with very different specs:
Model A: Quad band GSM/Tri band HSUPA/Wi-Fi
Model B: Quad band GSM/Dual band HSUPA/EVDO Rev A”
speacking of which, the Storm (Mod B) is suppossed to have Rev C if the older info is correct, but I believe it may be LTE, and the Thunder (Mod A) MAY have it too, but there is nothing to back this up, just a theory.
@ FuturDreamz: The EVDO Rev C and LTE speculation should have been debunked by now. Verizon Wireless has made no announcement of any Rev C upgrade, and LTE is still too new for any final silicon to be available.
I think people mistook the 7.2mbps top speed for Rev C, when it probably refers to HSUPA compatibility instead.
@ The One,
They planned the BB Storm to be released when 16GB chips were available. However, its the chips that failed to meet their target dates. I spend the better part of the last 2 hours tracking down the skinny on MicroSDHC. I spoke to an engineer that works with one of the better known flash media companies. 16GB MicroSDHC & 32GB SDHC cards are using a new level of miniaturization to “fit all the bits in an itty bitty space” (his words, not mine). This fab process will allow for capacities beyond 16 & 32 GB respectively. However, they have hit some “bumps in the road” (again, his words, not mine). Something about the fab process where they are getting an unacceptable amount of bad chips per fab.
They will not release them until its been all ironed out. However as far as a date, “under 8 months” is all I could get.
@ FuturDreamz & Verizon Guy: EVDO Rev B & C have been canceled. It’s all LTE from here on out which is a complete rework “start from scratch” to make everything IP-based and get latency under 5ms.
@Verizon Guy
“The EVDO Rev C and LTE speculation should have been debunked by now. Verizon Wireless has made no announcement of any Rev C upgrade, and LTE is still too new for any final silicon to be available.”
Verizon has already stated that EVDO Rev C is not going to happen. They are sticking with with Rev A all the way up to LTE deployment which has been slated for 2009, with the entire LTE network going online in 2010 and expanding further past 2010.
The lack of WIFI is a deal breaker. Albeit that it was Verizons modus to withold the WIFI option, SHAME ON YOU VERIZON. Other than that, it seems to be on par with the bold, but the lack of WIFI is unacceptable, PERIOD.
@ the one
Doesn’t the iphone? Isn’t this blackberry built to beat the iphone?
While Wi-Fi isn’t listed on the box, I believe that this phone HAS to have it. The reason the other items are listed (3.5 mm headphone, microSD, SIMM card) are because they are physical items that are shipped. None of the characteristics of the phone are listed (connectivity, etc). It says nothing about CDMA/GSM, 3G/4G/HSPDA, Bluetooth, etc. so it shouldn’t be inferred that Wi-Fi is not included just because it isn’t on the box.