BlackBerry Thunder gets 9530 model designation on Verizon, October 13th release date?

I think it’s probably going to be called the Thunder. If you look after the model number, there’s a capital ‘T’, likely for Thunder, just like the Curve has a capital ‘C’ after 8330.

Give it a couple of years, Rim will be #1 look at the growth Nokia 25% to Rims 107%.

Always? Really though… I thought both Verizon and AT&T’s evolutionary path were going to LTE for 4G. Hmmmm… I may have dreamed it all. Well…if I did not dream it all up then one day both (and likely all U.S. carriers except Sprint) will use the same technology on 700mzh no less.

@ blah:

I completely understand where you’re coming from when you say that RIM is a niche player, however you seem to be totally disregarding the millions of teenagers and young adults that walk around with Pearls and Curves with absolutely no intentions of using them for business purposes, or even PIM purposes. I know this because I happen to be a young adult myself with several friends who use BB’s simply because they like them (I, myself, use a Palm Centro, but I use it for its intended purposes). The incarnation of these two BB devices (Pearl and Curve) were genius on RIM’s part because they made what were once thought to be business-only devices appealing to nonbusiness users and the Thunder is really just an extension of that. Not to mention there are tons of actual business users out there who would like a full touchscreen device but are not willing to give up the functionality or reliability of the BB platform. The Thunder is essentially a “best of both worlds” device that can easily appeal to the typical business-focused BB users, while at the same time bringing in new users simply because of the cool factor inherently tied to any touchscreen device.

As the director of our BB network, composed of over 12700 BB devices, I’ll tell you…

NO T-Mobile? NO BIG DEAL.

Verizon BEST serves our needs because we need connectivity in secure buildings and inside large ships like aircraft carriers… Because the 9530 will come with a new OS, we’ll have to certify it for use in a secure environment; so it’s unlikely to get market penetration in the DoD in the immediate future.

It is a big deal, and I’m looking forward to using one soon…

dude, just suck it up and stop crying..
att got the damn bold.. if youve had all the bb’s, then obviously you havent had the bold. got get it, stop your crying and if you cant get the thunder or storm, too bad!

I have the original iPhone. It is a cool phone but I LOATHE AT&T. At this point I just want a comparable phone with Verizon. I have had nothing but problems with the service, contracts, employees in the stores and even home services. So if this phone is as good as it’s being hyped to be THANK GOD!! I’ll leave AT&T and never look back.

It is about time Verizon got an exclusive touch screen/smart phone like phone! AT&T customers have had their exclusive joy with the iPhone, now it’s our turn with Verizon! IN YOUR FACE AT&T!

Since VZ has had 3G for a long time and VZ is going to start using 4G soon, has anyone said if the BB Thunder/Storm/9530? is 4G capable. I’ve been using VZ for a couple of years because of 3G speed. Why ATT if VZ faster?

Nice to see some really good arguments, as well as a few really weak ones.

A lot of people I know with full-sized Blackberries have problems with the size, but love the functionality. I went with a Pearl because I had the choice, not being required to go with a full-sized BB. I was on the plane back home 2 days ago and next to me were two full-sized BB users (don’t remember which models, but could have been the Curve). Each one said the same thing…love/hate relationship.

I had the original iPhone for 2 weeks and it went back. I just felt it was “too media-centric” for my needs, and not enough business. I thought it was horrible at managing contacts and its calendar functions weren’t as strong as my Pearl. OTOH, for what I was using it for (not music or other media, mind you), the battery seemed to blow my Pearl’s battery out of the water, and the size made it a lot nicer than owning a smart-phone the size of a Curve.

From the pix I’ve seen here on BGR and others, the Thunder / Storm / 9530 seems like it’ll be smaller and more manageable, and the more sophisticated location-specific haptic feedback will certainly be a welcome addition, as well.

Quite frankly, I’ve had AT&T, or its predecessor, Cingular / Cellular-One, since I first got a cell-phone in 1998. I haven’t had a ton of problems with their customer service, but I have noticed it seemed to take a step-backward ever since they were taken over by AT&T. Something as simple as paying my bill over-the-phone now REQUIRES I use the automated bill-pay system, which has always been problematic for me for some reason. Previously, speaking with a customer service rep at least ensured my payment was processed properly.

I’ve spoken with numerous people with every carrier and they all seem to have their problems. No carrier is perfect, and that’s the closest thing to fact I know of in this world. They all seem to want my business, and Verizon is offering to pay my service termination fees with AT&T. Since I’m more attracted to the BB Thunder than I am to the iPhone, I’m willing to give them a shot. The biggest deal for me with the switch is phone number portability. This is the only constant phone number I’ve had for the past 10 years.

So, all-in-all, from all the hype, the Thunder seems like a cool product. I give props to RIM for keeping current and offering a solid portfolio of phones to appeal to different target markets.

Oh…last point here, and this is something that I need to vent on…I don’t care what ANYONE has to say…RIM is like any other solid business, in that they’re not going after a “niche”, but rather an expanding portfolio to capture overall market share. No single phone will appeal to everyone. If RIM were stupid enough to think that a single phone would, then they wouldn’t have the Javelin, Bold, and Thunder all coming out within months of each other (supposedly, anyway).

I have moderately followed the developments of the Thunder/Storm, but have not seen this discussed anywhere. Will the internet on the Thunder/Storm look like it does on the iPhone (i.e. just like on my computer screen) or will it still be the old shoddy “Blackberry internet?”

robert, I am still waiting for more information on the Thunder web too. I like the solid way blackberry handles email, calendar and contacts but for my business I need that iPhone-like web experience.

I know the email, cal & contacts will be good. Its a BB. Unlike the iPhone using that shoddy mobileme.

The web will be the deal killer on the Thunder. If its not that true web experience I will have to look elsewhere for the perfect all-in-one device that suits my needs.

I’m bummed. I’m with ATT, and am not a fan of apple and its iphone, so I was excited to hear about the bb storm (i have a bb curve for now). If att doesn’t have the storm by the time i upgrade again, i’ll switch carriers.

I think if Verizon wants to keep the Storm for themselves they should be able to do it. ATNT does it with the iPhone, so don’t expect any special treatment because you’re a loyal BB customer. I am a loyal Apple customer and they aren’t making any special rules for me so I can get the iPhone through Verizon. I suppose you’ll just have to suck it up and deal.