Since we were the first ones to break the news about a touchscreen BlackBerry device, its only fitting that we follow up and give yall 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! Weve 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 its very early and thats likely to change. This is HUGE for the Verizon lovers. For once theyll get an exclusive device, but Verizon will have a sales quota for the device and if they dont meet those numbers, weve heard the exclusivity will then dissolve and its over. This will be extremely interesting to see play out.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/06/08/blackberry-thunder-live-shot-damn-were-good/
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/06/08/blackberry-thunder-live-shot-damn-were-good/