RIM to Launch Touch Screen 3G Blackberry "Thunder"

The Wall Street Journal has confirmed rumors that Research in Motion (RIM) will be launching a new Blackberry that will directly compete with Apple's new 3G iPhone that will debut next month. Dubbed the Blackberry "Thunder", RIM's new phone will be sold exclusively by Verizon Wireless and UK mobile giant Vodafone.

A mock up of what the Thunder might look like:

Few details about the Thunder have been verified. The model number is currently BlackBerry 9500, though that will probably change. It will have a full touch screen like the iPhone and only four actual buttons - send, end, Blackberry menu, and go back. The Thunder will be a 3G phone, able to access 3G networks both in the United States and abroad. While Verizon currently uses a CDMA based EV-DO network and Vodafone uses a GSM based HSDPA network, both plan to build 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks. This suggests the Thunder may be 4G capable, but RIM has not confirmed such.

The exclusive partnership between RIM and Verizon could pose a serious threat to AT&T's dominance in the U.S. market. Verizon will have a sales quota to meet and the exclusive partnership will end if they are not. The Blackberry has been the best selling smart phone so far but Apple could surpass them with its new 3G iPhone next month. The Thunder will be a nice addition to RIM's arsenal in the battle of the smart phones. The Thunder is expected to be available sometime in Q3 this year.

[via InformationWeek]

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