RIM

Expansys, a UK based Internet retailer of smartphones and handheld devices has put RIM's Blackberry 8220 flip phone up on its site for pre-order before RIM has even announced the phone. Apparently it is just a Blackberry with a clamshell design.

The 8220 features both an internal and external display. The external is 160 x 128 pixels and allows you to quickly preview messages while the internal is 2.6" 240 x 320 pixels. It features a Sure Type keyboard like the Pearl. It has a 2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, 5x digital zoom and an LED flash,

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