Announced a mere ten hours ago, Research in Motion (RIMM) has laid vocabulary of atmospheric proportions upon us. Thunder and Storm are their (code) names, and touch screens are their game. RIM is finally going to bring some competition Apple’s (AAPL) way with their next line of handheld devices (9500 series perhaps?). AT&T (T) is going to get the Storm, while Verizon Wireless (VZ) (Yes, that is correct) will bring on the Thunder. Best of all, you may see these devices at your local retailer as early as November. Early specs on the Thunder are as follows:
- Full Touch Screen Blackberry
- Only four buttons (Send, End, Blackberry Key, and a back key)
- CDMA EV-DO Rev. C (aka UMB) and GSM HSPA for international travel. Yup, its a hybrid kids.
Now for the interesting part… Research in Motion has signed a lifetime worldwide exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless for the Thunder, which is MASSIVE news for VZW customers. I guess the notion of purchasing an iPhone this summer has been completely sidelined. If you follow the market at all, make sure to watch RIM’s stock, I see dollar signs. Stay tuned for updates.
[...] I reported just about a month ago, the BlackBerry Thunder is storming the wireless skies… and it couldnt be at better time. Thanks to the Boy Genius [...]