Sometimes I hate being right – Touchscreen Blackberry codenamed “Thunder” on the way!
Artist’s rendering of the Blackberry “Thunder” – Boy Genius Report
According to a story today on The Boy Genius Report, it looks like I was right. RIM is seriously into the game of playing catch-up with Apple. Rumor has it that they are building a full multi-touch phone codenamed the Blackberry “Thunder”, which is supposed to only have 4 face buttons and an on screen keyboard. Much like the iPhone is locked to AT&T the Thunder is supposed to be the primary high end phone for Verizon and Vodaphone, who had been in the running for negotiations for the iPhone itself.
Rumors have it that the phone will have a possible CDMA EVDO rev. C chip or possibly an LTE chipset making it one of the first 4G smartphones, as well as standard GSM for worldwide travel. The first models are likely to appear under as Blackberry 9500 series but will likely be marketed with the name Thunder.
Though the thought of possible 4G data services is nice, honestly I don’t expect much from this device. Everything about it strikes me as trying to ape the iPhone. But chances are they won’t be aiming for the next gen iPhone but for the current gen. Blackberry will also have to do a MAJOR revision to their standard OS style for it to work in a multi-touch environment, and they have never been known for slick and great looking interfaces. Add to the fact that this will be on Verizon, and likely burdened with a slew of expensive and low-functionality services, and this is a disaster in the making.
Though I’m sure RIM thinks it’s being daring by making a touchscreen phone when they have so heavily relied on QWERTY keypads in the past, this just smells of making a carbon copy clone of the current iPhone, making it compatible with Blackberry services and calling it a day.
With current rumors of the next gen iPhone having a forward facing camera for video conferencing, GPS support, 3G data, and an absolutely rabid fan and developer base creating mobile apps the likes we have never seen before, I can’t shake the feeling that RIM is playing it way too safe to compete in this space.
Not to mention the threat coming from Google. The development of the Android platform is gaining steam as well, and with companies like HTC creating absolutely GORGEOUS devices like the Touch Diamond,
some of which will run Windows Mobile, and many more of which will run Android, There is yet another viable competitor entering the space. Time will tell however, if Android will be accepted in the enterprise, but it’s clear that they will absolutely sell units to regular consumers. Some of the software being developed on the Android side is absolutely of iPhone caliber, and among regular consumers I have a feeling even Android will be a favorite against RIM as well.
I hope RIM really can blow us away with a beautiful original phone with features and software like we’ve never seen before, but they’ve proven over the last few years with the Pearl and the Curve that while they are interested in adding media features to their phones, they aren’t extremely good at it. I still stand by what I’ve said. They’re in deep trouble.