The BlackBerry Storm name just became a LOT more official. Engadget scored a sweet image of the actual BOX the Verizon BlackBerry 9530 is going to ship in. How do you like that for a leaked pic?! Details from the box suggest Verizon's touchscreen will feature a pre-installed 8GB microSD card and pre-installed SIM card (global phone).
As for the name... I guess nobody is going to win my BlackBerry Curve afterall. Rewind to our blog post on May 1st when we were the first to make a prediction on RIM's touchscreen device being called the BlackBerry Storm - I promised I'd give away my Curve to a lucky reader if I ended up being proved wrong on this one. The funny thing here is that none of the prevailing device name thoughts that surfaced were wrong... BOTH the STORM and THUNDER names are going to get action. CrackBerry Podcast listeners heard this notion a couple of episodes ago that RIM's touchscreen could be going by different names on different carriers (we dropped the notion again in the blogs when we mockingly began referring to the device as the "ThunderStorm").
While Verizon brews the Storm, the Thunder name will accompany the device on carriers like Vodafone and .... ROGERS??!! Yup, that's the new word. I wonder what happened to that Telus Canadian exclusivity we heard about?! So much for the worldwide lifetime exclusive. While I LOVE the Storm name and like the Thunder name, I'm now thinking this phone should have been called the TRANSFORMER. There has always been way more to this story than has ever met the eye. Actually, I'm pretty sure this is the first time in the history of RIM that the device's codename(s) have actually gone through and become the product names. Awesome! Now, enough of the Box. What I want to know is how we do get our hands on what's inside the box?! Great find Engadget!
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anyone else get a chubby, i want i want. :)
cant wait
It's definately sticking out knocking things over and banging against my desk everytime i try to find an update about it.
That's a great find alright! I'm just loving all of the new BlackBerry phones! And Engadget claims that BlackBerry fans on Verizon "can expect in a few weeks' time." Sounds good to me!
It would kind of suck if this beats the Bold to the US. That device doesn't seem to exists.
I have seen more pics of this phone and idk the phone is nice but looks too much like iphone and im so sick of iphone and Steve Jobs that i want to vomit, BB Bold will be my choice
Dang Kev, you are going to have your hands full....KS, Bold, Thunder, Jav, Curve....:)
I guess I'm going to have to learn to type with my toes!!!!
This will have to be the first BlackBerry I don't even care for. I'll just skip this release and wait for the Niagra?
I'm pretty sure it's still going to be a solid device given RIM doesn't manufacturer crappy hardware, but I'm saying this now, it won't compare to the iPhone. In terms of technology, the iPhone will still have this beat even when the 9530 is released. I just don't see RIM creating a new consumer friendly OS to compete with the iPhone's GUI. I guess with all the talk about the iPhone's touch keyboard, RIM has to nail this or else the phone will be their first flop.
You're off on this assumption. The touch on the 9500 is BETTER than on the Iphone. I don't like the Iphone period, but IMHO, the 9500 is better. The OS is very nice, and is different(in it's on way) than any other OS previously built. Mark my words, this device will TAKE a LARGE share of the market. Including some of Apples share. ;)
This won't compare to the iPhone because unlike the iPhone this one has a chance of actually working correctly! :) Like maybe the bluetooth will work and you'll be able to get your voicemail, and...
Plus, this will do picture and video messages. The camera on the iphone is a joke...what's the point in even having a camera if you can't send and receive pictures?
Do I want the Storm or Bold??? I don't know what to do now, it seems obvious that the storm is coming out this year too along side with Bold, that seems it was due like last year but literally last month. Both phones look great but why only Verizon I have AT&T. What to do???
I'll be sure to switch to this phone when it comes out to Rogers. This is gonna be awesome
Can you zoom in on the box to see if it lists the dimensions?
Nah I already tried, you can only make out the writing on the left panel which is what the box contains. The other writing is just a font size too small to make anything out. I hope its small and thin!
can this phone be unlocked for other carriers?
Amazingg...
i miss this type...Thunder or Storm.
Will a CDMA phone be released before a GSM?
This is going to be...wait for it.....Awesome!
Now if only this phone can make its way over to Sprint than i shall be a happy(ier) man.
Verizon, if u are reading this... hurry up release the new blackberry phones. You are a bunch of laggers, always last in the pack to get the cool phones. On top of that you never carry the cool looking phones. As a Verizon customer, I am happy with your service, but your phone selection is CRAP. Your a bunch of followers, following other carriers and last in line to release the phones.
I mean, seriously...
I am so sick of waiting on AT&T to break out the Bold.
If Verizon beats them to market with the STORM, AT&T just
lost a customer. As far as I'm concerned, whoever gets the new phone out first wins! I am currently with AT&T but will not hesitate to jump over if Verizon breaks this baby out first!
do u think alltel will have this phone?
verizon just purchased alltel (or at least is in the preliminary stages to do so) So, more than likely/eventually?
You know what? I'm not even that hot for the Bold anymore. Too many delays. What I'm going to do is simply this. I'll be waiting on AT&T for a few more weeks anyway. So why not just wait a couple more after that then make a comparison. I'll go over to AT&T check out the BOLD then go two blocks and check out the STORM at Verizon. I can hold both devices, check them out, try the display model and THEN make a decision. AT&T - you left the door open and VERIZON just walked in!!
That's exactly what I'm gonna do also. I've been an ATT customer since 2004 but this is getting ridiculous. I may need to wait for Tmobile to release the Javelin so that I can get the best comparison of all three. ATT waited just a little too long. Nyeh!
do u think alltel will have this phone?
changed my mind on my comment
So if the picture is the actual phone, think we could update the picture for the "BlackBerry 9500 Touchscreen" forum?
Is it me or is this box missing a side?
It's not just you. Box could be a wrapper for the actual phone package which would slip into the open end... but if this were so, wouldn't the UPC be on the phone's package and not on the wrapper?
Looking at the side that has the UPC and the side that has the package contents, when the sides are put together either the UPC is going to be hidden or part of the package contents side will be obscured by the UPC side.
Have you guys ever seen boxes that have one end that has two curved flaps that actually fold into the box? Very hard to explain, but it gives one end of the box a concave side. If you look at the red lines on the right side of the image, those lines are most likely where the box will be scored to fold in to create the concave end of the box.
Sorry, but its hard to explain.....you see it sometimes on platic packages in which heasets and headphones ship.
Actually, after looking again - the red lines are the cut lines for the printer/box maker. The green lines are the score/fold lines.
It is most definetly a sleeve for another box. The curved part of the cut is where you will see the classic Verizon black box underneath.
The real iphone killer? I love that it may beat the Bold to US market! I hope its not just another phone, I hope its a real iphone comparable.
No WiFi what's up with that this sucks!
And here I sit with my 2 year TMo contract! They better make up to us or I believe they'll see an exodus of customers. The Storm looks like a very sweet device - if one can get used to a touch screen.
i do believe that it is missing a side. that side would be the one that breaks down the phone. ie X megapixel camera, OS 4.x, things like that. im going to check at my store today and see if the curve, pearl and 8830 have stuff written on the other side, but i am pretty sure they do.
ooops i got a blank page, didn't think this went through. :)
Ya, wow.. What a sweet piece of electronical phone thingy..I am too much of a ruch but does anyone know when that is coming out in Canada? Can someone email me or text? dhogen@sympatico.ca (519)312-4427
Thanks,
David
That's sweet, but I'm not with Verizon. Poo.
There were post earlier saying that telus will be getting the touchscreen
Does "pre-installed sim card" mean that they put it in at the factory to save you time and you can remove it?
Or does it mean they installed it at the factory, put a bunch of metal, screws, and circuit boards on top of it; and you can't remove it unless you take it to get serviced?
if the thunder comes to rogers, dont that mean it will work on att network if its unlocked?
it's nice to know... that there are 32 GB SD cards out there
Please read - the Storm is MicroSD, not SD
Thanks for this Kevin. Do you think you can work your contacts to confirm the Rogers bit though...I'm shocked that they would have exclusive rights to the iphone, exclusive rights to the Bold and now get the Thund..I mean Storm?!?! If so, I hope they take some lessons learned from the Bold release...I mean two units in a store does not a release make. And if anyone from RIM is listening, you might want to keep an eye/ear out for how Rogers reps promote the Storm...I was in a store last week looking at the Curves (one of my weaker moments when I didn't think I could wait for the Storm anymore) and the second I said I wanted it for personal use, the Rogers guy says to me "well you don't want a Blackberry then, you want an iphone" and physically led me away from the Blackberries to the iphone display. I left the store, but RIM, keep an eye on these people..a less crackberry-savvy person may have fallen for it!!!!
I'm so excited!! I love my BB now, and want the Storm so I can have the touch experience with all the goodies of the Curve!! Kuddos for the all the sneak peaks we've seen and this is the best of the best.. Thank You
coming to at&t possibly or am I reading something wrong. I thought it said something about a sim card and that leaves the question out there.
I hope that this Rogers news is just another cooked up fib. If Telus dropped the ball on this, they are out of the wireless race, they can't compete with their stock of last year's blackberries, the TOuch Diamond and the Keybo. Telus, Telus, Telus. Do you want to give your business to Rogers? Are you going to offer free porting? Get with the program!!!!
so does anyone know the ETA for 9530 by any chance?
Well, if this phone goes to Rogers, then RIM has lost another sale. Rogers' prices are ridiculous and their customer service is a joke. At least I can get unlimited internet, email, text and data with Telus for a reasonable price. As much of a big deal everyone was making over the iphone I personally know a lot of people who declined once they released the rate plans. And the second release of the rate plans...and the third release of the rate plans.
When Telus and Rogers have the same phones Telus usually gets the better models. I'm hoping that is the case here again otherwise no touch screen for me!