The industrious Boy Genius has apparently unearthed more juicy tidbits about that rumored
BlackBerry touchscreen device. Word from BG is that the new iPhone-ish handset is now internally dubbed the "Thunder," and will come to Verizon and Vodafone as an exclusive device. The phone will reportedly have four physical keys (send, end, menu, and back), sport a hybrid CDMA EV-DO Rev. C / GSM HSPA radio, and
could come equipped with a 4G LTE component. Outside Waterloo's labs, the device could be known as the BlackBerry 9500 -- though it's possible that designation could change. BGR has included a self-made mockup (above) of what the device may look like, but as of now, no one has laid eyes on this mythical creature.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
fyreblazer @ May 13th 2008 1:11PM
Verizon exclusive? Not a smart move IMO, but hopefully the GSM radio will work with US bandwidths so that it can be hacked up to work with AT&T and/or T-Mo.
Omagus @ May 13th 2008 4:34PM
Actually, it's not entirely stupid. AT&T is out because they have the iPhone and there's no way that Apple doesn't raise a fuss if AT&T tries to get this phone. That leaves T-Mobile as the exclusive GSM carrier in the US and they simply don't have enough subscribers to entice RIM. So they just went with the largest CDMA carrier, which isn't as bad a move as it initially seems. The iPhone hasn't exactly been setting sales records outside of the US. That mostly has to do with using EDGE but maybe it also has to do with capacitive touch screens just not being quite as popular outside of the US. RIM could have released it unlocked but I don't think they've ever done that before; they've always launched a phone through a carrier.
As for the GSM side of the phone, there's no way that it has US bands if it's being sold exclusively through Verizon.
elegee02 @ May 14th 2008 12:32AM
VZW sells more BBerry devices in the US than ANY OTHER CARRIER, so no this is not a stupid move at all.
Brandon P. @ May 13th 2008 1:14PM
**drool**
thank you VZW!
tra la la @ May 13th 2008 1:40PM
@ fyre - why would it not be a smart move? plenty of phones are exclusive, and not just to verizon. Blackberry sells ~10000 units a day, I don't think they're hurting in any way. and you know there will probably be a similar exclusive unit for another carrier (most likely AT&T).
derX @ May 13th 2008 3:29PM
If it's exclusive to VZW, it'll be a CDMA device (I am going to assume the reference to HSPA will be how VZW includes Euro GSM on certain devices). CDMA represents a small portion of cell phone usage. Ultimately, they will hurt themselves with this move.
The whole iPhone AT&T exclusivity worked out for Apple because people are just unlocking it. If it's a primarily CDMA device, this is not possible, hurting their bottom line. And I just don't see many people jumping ship to get a BB Thunder. BB's more diehard fans are business users and I don't see their choosing a touchscreen device over their usual BB-styled mobile.
MM @ May 13th 2008 5:28PM
@derX: "CDMA represents a small portion of cell phone usage"
time for a fact check buddy, last time I checked VZW wasn't a small portion and increasing!
Omagus @ May 13th 2008 9:41PM
@MM: They are if you look at it from a global perspective, which is what derX is doing.
Seth A @ May 13th 2008 10:30PM
@MM GSM has 85 some odd percent of the Global market. Only in the US is CDMA widely used. And Verizon is on the path to transition to the GSM path with LTE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cellphone-subscribers-by-technology.svg
Jason Peterson @ May 13th 2008 2:15PM
I have mixed feelings about this upcoming device.
Hopefully they revise the UI because the current one is too small and would not be finger friendly at all. And it's not just the UI size I am concerned with. To make a touch-screen even useful on a BlackBerry, the entire UI would need almost a complete overhaul.
In any case, if they keep their e-mail support and corporate appeal, with a cleaner interface, and possibly a better web browser, this phone could be a game changer for RIM.
crashoverride @ May 13th 2008 2:59PM
I think the interface will have to be a lot better than the Touch Flo that HTC did recently. In other words, it better not just be a pretty home screen with the same old, same old underneath, as it won't work. If RIM has learned from Apple's sucess, this might be the phone that makes people jump to Verizon for once, instead of waiting a year to get what other carriers get at a launch.
Well, at least I can sell my Curve for this when VZW comes out with it. I hope the UI is as useful and easy as RIM does now. After all, the trackball idea was borrowed well from the Sidekick for Blackberry devices, it RIM does its own take on the Iphone interface, ups the horsepower (memory and processor) well, it could be a stellar product. I hope so
CB17 @ May 13th 2008 3:17PM
LTE? UMB?
You're about a month and a half late on April Fools. Sorry.
VZWguy @ May 13th 2008 4:44PM
to anyone not understanding hwo this is setting yup the long term whiel allowing the short term:
lte is the new standard nationwide that ATT, and verizon are going to, not to mention that it is the standard for vodaphone, and thus will be pressed on other countries looking to follow the EU, the USA and soon japan. and don't think that Veriozn and vodaphone didn;t learn something from the iphone unlocking debacle. that is widely viewed as a HUGE profit loss for ATT and the companies responsible for activating the devices. rest asure that vodaphone and verizon will try to keep these pretty locked down for as long as they can to disallow the abortion that was tmobile iPhones.
but yeah, it REALLY sounds like verizon is leaving themselves in the dust here. a touch screen crackberry, with BES and bis capabilites, HTML browser, accelerometer, world phone cpapabilities....wow, sounds horrible. better go grab a Wimax device, stay on that cutting edge of technoogy that...nobody is adopting.
Nick Santella @ May 13th 2008 5:11PM
This is definatly coming to Canada as well. Either on Bell or rogers
john @ May 13th 2008 5:46PM
I wont buy this thing for one of the same reasons I wont buy an iPhone:
No physical keyboard.
If I want a BB, it'll be one with a physical keyboard, thanks.
john @ May 14th 2008 12:18AM
Oh, and, lack of tethering. Another big reason I don't own an iPhone.
dare instructor @ May 14th 2008 9:19AM
Seeing as all VZW BBs tether as of right now and tethering is a big push within the company, I don't see any reason why this one would not allow it.
lakersin2025 @ May 13th 2008 5:53PM
Sweet! I'm getting one of these.
chickenator @ May 13th 2008 5:59PM
nope it's not.
i mean the website.
youngcalihottie @ May 13th 2008 6:58PM
Rev C and LTE? lmao. lets not forget bb doesnt even have a 3g device out yet. and what happened to Rev B? lol. i doubt they will jump from the last with a 3g device to the first with a 4g.
so maybe the 9000 shoulda been named BOLT instead of BOLD. :P
well that is a cool mock up. but i would never buy a bb because i dont see the need to pay extra premiums for web and email.
but if those specs are true, then this thing is a longggggggg ways away specially considering it would need a completely new UI
Bootleg Zani @ May 13th 2008 8:06PM
What are you talking about? Every BB device on Verizon has 3g.
youngcalihottie @ May 13th 2008 9:35PM
well this would supposedly come out for vodaphone. and theres no 3g gsm bb.
Seth A @ May 13th 2008 10:25PM
Is that the wind I hear or thousands of people saying the Soft QWERTY Keyboard will never catch on when the iPhone was released. Probably just the wind.
V-Dawg @ May 13th 2008 10:27PM
Personally, I think they should've named it 'Shazam!'.
jeff @ May 13th 2008 11:34PM
FINALLY Verizon gets something first!!! stupid AT&T
Sean @ May 14th 2008 1:19AM
I hope it has the power of the blackberry matched with the functionality of the iphone's web browser.
It really needs a physical keyboard slide out to sell to its traditional customer base.
Badonkadonk @ May 19th 2008 9:55PM
"It really needs a physical keyboard slide out to sell to its traditional customer base."
... and why do you think they would market such a phone to their traditional market base? The Bold is clearly going to have both HSPA and EVDO variants as stated earlier this week - maybe a Worldphone to replace the 8830's. This would just be another horse in the stable of RIM devices.
loosely_coupled @ May 14th 2008 3:55AM
@youngcalhottie
I totally agree, this sounds like BS. Blackberry's first 3G device won't even be out till summer and they are talking about EV-DO Revision C???
Verizon and Sprint's network just turned all EV-DO revision A. I don't think there is ANY NETWORK IN THE WORLD EVEN RUNNING REVISION B.. So where in the hell didn't Blackberry get a Revision C Chipset? and where would that ever be useful? I assume Vodaphone and Verizon will have their LTE/HSOPA networks finished by the time they would go anywhere near Revision C
outphase84 @ May 14th 2008 8:17PM
While I agree about Rev C, RIM has had 3G blackberries out for, oh, 3 years now?
No UMTS, but VZW/Sprint's blackberries have had 3G since the 7250.
Michael @ May 14th 2008 12:57PM
Once again, there have been 3G Blackberry's on VZW and Sprint for over a year now. So this won't be their first 3G device.
Sorry to make you look like a fool.
dbonelee @ May 16th 2008 8:20AM
Yes every BB on VZW is 3g already. They just have crappy web browsers, like all BB's have.