Thunder -- Engadget Mobile

BlackBerry Thunder codename reemerges after lengthy sabbatical

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 22nd 2009 @ 12:41PM

Back in the heady pre-9500 days when "touchscreen BlackBerry" was still a novel and exotic phrase, "Storm" and "Thunder" were both rumored as codenames for RIM's first foray into touch territory. Of course, "Storm" would ultimately prevail as the retail branding -- and the rest, as they say, is history. Or is it? A BlackBerry Thunder has apparently magically reappeared in Verizon's systems this week, though it's not clear whether this is a new device -- the Storm 2, for instance -- or just residual offal from the original Storm launch last year. If it's new, we get the theme, but what's next? Hail? Tornado? Sleet?

Google Sync for BlackBerry gets into your contacts

by Laura June posted Nov 20th 2008 @ 11:43AM

If you're a BlackBerry user or a prospective user, and also happen to be a Gmail enthusiast, you're going to be a lot happier than you were yesterday, because Google's just added over-the-air contact syncing to its Google Sync application. Previously, the app was only able to sync up calendars between the cloud and RIM devices every two hours. Now you can get your names and numbers in the mix, so it looks like the nightmare days of having one list of contacts in Gmail and another, totally different one in your 'Berry are apparently at an end. Sure, Google's timing on this seems a little convenient to us, coming as it does just before the BlackBerry Storm launch, but we're not going to complain about something that makes ours lives easier, okay?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm and Bold compared on video: awkward...

by Darren Murph posted Oct 23rd 2008 @ 8:19PM

One might think that the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm could get along together, but similar to twin brothers who both aspire to graduate Magna Cum Laude from an Ivy league school, these two aren't exactly the most loving of siblings. Oh, and toss in that iPhone 3G -- which played a huge role in helping Apple sell more phones than RIM last quarter -- and you've got yourself a bona fide mess. Check out all three getting shoved up on one another in the name of comparison just after the break. It's a little uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it.

Continue reading iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm and Bold compared on video: awkward...

BlackBerry Storm User Guide surfaces

by Darren Murph posted Oct 6th 2008 @ 3:50PM

Look, we love finding out the pre-release minutiae just as much as anyone, but this is getting a little absurd. Yesterday we spotted a Storm slide pack, just this morning we ran across a sneak peek of RIM's BlackBerry Application Center, and merely hours later we're being treated to the BlackBerry Storm User Guide. What's next, internal information on how to best polish the casing? C'mon Verizon, get this thing out in the open already!

Sneak peek at RIM's BlackBerry Application Center

by Darren Murph posted Oct 6th 2008 @ 7:50AM

At this point, you're probably wondering what section of the Storm's UI you haven't seen. Enter a few new sneak peeks, this time showcasing the purported BlackBerry Application Center. Granted, these shots are from the Vodafone edition, but we don't suspect the Verizon version will look much different. Reportedly, the Application Center will be available on v4.7 Storm devices, and carriers themselves will be responsible for hosting the data and sending updates; additionally, the download / installation will be handled by the browser in the first release, meaning that the software cannot restart the app or download intelligently. Give the read link a look for a few more tidbits / pictures.

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 / 9530: details galore

by Darren Murph posted Oct 5th 2008 @ 2:01PM

RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 / 9530, which is more affectionately known 'round these parts as the Thunder, is definitely within striking distance. Still, just because you don't have too much longer to wait doesn't mean you aren't anxious to get your hands on as many details as possible beforehand, right? The Boy Genius has managed to procure a few mundane stacks of PowerPoint slides that just so happen to contain some pretty scrumptious information on the touchscreen-based BlackBerry, and while there aren't any mind-melting surprises in there (like, confirmation that it can indeed read and reply correctly to each e-mail automatically), it's not the kind of data any real RIM fan would want to overlook. Go on and hit the read link, what exactly are you waiting for?

Blackberry Storm dummy hits Verizon store

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 29th 2008 @ 10:22PM

Well, it's not quite as big as that gigantic promo Bold, but dummies of the Blackberry Storm have started appearing in Verizon stores, and it's looking a lot, uh, more robust than we remember from all those leaks. Specs include an appropriately multicultural photo of happy people, non-functioning buttons, and a list of Verizon talking points. Still no hard release date, but we're guessing something this big can't be contained for much longer.

[Via Blackberry News]

Verizon tells us all about the BlackBerry Storm's "WOW factors"

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 23rd 2008 @ 11:35AM

Flashy new slides circulating among Verizon staffers are calling out the Storm for everything that makes it just so darned Stormy, and the list is pretty impressive -- particularly the bit about the radios. As we've heard before, the Storm will pack CDMA / EV-DO Rev. A, quadband EDGE, and 2100MHz HSPA, making it one of the most global phones ever to hit the market. The list of "WOW factors" (Verizon's verbiage, not ours) doesn't stop there, though: we've also got a 3.25-inch 480 x 360 display dubbed "1/2 VGA+," which puts it just a notch above the Bold's 480 x 320 setup. The screen offers tactile feedback and auto-rotation to boot, plus you've got that 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash, 1GB of onboard memory with microSD expansion -- an 8GB card is included in the box -- and "enhanced background noise cancellation." Turning our attention to software, RIM calls the Storm's web browsing experience "best in class," which is a good sign if those guys really know their competition, and we've got AGPS and visual voicemail (post-launch, sadly) in the pipe. Still no solid date on a launch for this blasted thing, but we'll be listening for... ahem, thunder.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Gallery: Verizon tells us all about the BlackBerry Storm's "WOW factors"

GSM-only BlackBerry Storm / Thunder leaks out

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 23rd 2008 @ 9:34AM

We might be getting the CDMA BlackBerry Storm 9530 with GSM worldphone abilities on Verizon here in the States, but the rest of the world doesn't need both of those radios, and now we have confirmation of the GSM-only BlackBerry 9500 (aka the BlackBerry Thunder) -- check out this RIM data sheet that just surfaced. Specs are basically the same as the Storm 9530: quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA, 1GB of flash with 192MB of RAM, 3.2 megapixel cam with video, flash and image stabilization, A-GPS, and that click-touchscreen. No details on pricing or release date, but we'd guess it'll hit along with the Storm 9530 sometime around November 1st.

Verizon's BlackBerry Storm page goes live

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 16th 2008 @ 6:32PM

It was redirected for most the of the day, but Verizon's BlackBerry Storm page just went live, hopefully meaning we'll be see RIM's first touchscreen phone make its debut sometime soon. All you can do at the moment is sign up for an email alert, but we've got you covered with the internal promo video, box art, talking points, and even a ninja-themed hands-on -- yeah, let's get this released, guys.

[Thanks, Nick]

Verizon BlackBerry Storm ambushed by Mr. Blurrycam

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 15th 2008 @ 1:31PM

Yep, that's the BlackBerry Storm, with Verizon branding and everything -- too bad there isn't a shot of the pricetag or release date. Soon, please? Check two more at the read link.

Verizon Blackberry Storm talking points slip out

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 15th 2008 @ 11:04AM

We're still waiting on Verizon's official launch of the Blackberry Storm, but the anticipation is running high, especially since we just received a list of specs and talking points distributed to store reps about RIM's first touchscreen phone. As expected, the 9530 Storm will feature that controversial "click" touchscreen with built-in tactile feedback, GSM connectivity for global use in addition to EV-DO, visual voicemail, a 3.2 megapixel camera with video, and a full HTML browser. Sadly, there's no pricing information or specific release date, but we've got a feeling we'll get those soon -- stay tuned.

[Thanks, HTCKid]

HTC Touch HD takes 480 x 800 pixels fullscreen

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 10th 2008 @ 9:18AM

Whoa, looks like HTC is going full-device touchscreen in a hurry. We don't know much more than what we can scrape off the screen, but this BlackBerry Thunder(storm)-like handset looks to be running TouchFLO 3D atop WinMo 6.1 and a Qualcomm 7201a processor kicking 528MHz. But that display, WVGA, please HTC we want to believe. One more after the break, plenty beyond the read link.

Continue reading HTC Touch HD takes 480 x 800 pixels fullscreen

BlackBerry Thunder caught on video, with a ninja

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 10th 2008 @ 1:52AM

BREW Ninja, who readily (and oddly for a ninja) enough admits that he's a mobile QA engineer over at Yahoo! Mobile, just scooped 3x phones in this quickie 4 and half minute video. The HTC Coke -- a variant of the HTC Touch Pro -- and tiny LG Lotus (AKA, LX600) with full QWERTY for Sprint are both interesting, but it's the hands-on video of RIM's touchscreen Thunder that blows our doors. At about 2:50 in, he reveals the BlackBerry Thunder for Verizon saying, "I don't like it, it's, it's an ok phone." His biggest concern seems to be the touchscreen (something we've heard before) which acts like a button -- you have to actual push the screen, hard, unlike most capacitive touchpanel devices. See for yourself after the break.

[Via Crackberry]

Continue reading BlackBerry Thunder caught on video, with a ninja

BlackBerry Storm 9530 for Verizon gets boxed

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 27th 2008 @ 9:59PM

So we might not have a physical device here, but these packaging renderings are pretty solid evidence of exactly what BlackBerry fans on Verizon -- particularly those jealous of the Bold -- can expect in a few weeks' time. It looks like RIM's first foray into the scary world of touchscreens will be officially branded the 9530 Storm, will be global (it includes a SIM card, after all), and will feature an 8GB SanDisk microSD card preinstalled. Wondering what happened to the Thunder name? Turns out that'll apparently be reserved for the version of the phone launching on Rogers up in Canada and on Vodafone across the pond. Those Storm users on the screen there sure look happy, don't they?