Message #1313 From:
The Machine Date: May 17, 2008 07:44:07 AM
Yet another “iPhone killer:” Blackberry’s Thunder (updated)
Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:17 am Did you hear that John Mayer is cheating on Apple again? That’s right, Apple’s poster boy blogged
that he’s using a Blackberry Bold. Not really surprising considering
that RIM sponsored his 2007 tour. Note to Cupertino: send him a 3G
iPhone, like, today. Although RIM hasn’t said anything publicly about it, their current
worst-kept secret is that they’re next-gen handset will have a
touchscreen, just like iPhone. Code-named “Thunder” the new handset
does away with a hardware keyboard completely and is due to arrive in
Q3 2008 according to BGR.
BGR posted a mockup of the device (pictured) which is almost an
exact knockoff of the iPhone design. It’s all screen and only has four
buttons: send, end, BlackBerry and a back key. BGR also claims that it
has 3G (EV-DO Rev. C) and GSM HSPA (for international use) and it will
launch as a worldwide lifetime exclusive on Verizon and Vodafone.
Electronista is somewhat skeptical:
…the reported launch information also conflicts
with some of Verizon’s existing and future plans. The company today
operates a relatively slower EVDO Revision A service for data and has
already announced plans to switch to Long Term Evolution
(LTE) for its next-generation wireless network, dropping CDMA entirely
in favor of a 700MHz 4G standard that it will likely share with
AT&T, Vodafone, and other carriers that today use GSM.
Haven’t we seen enough alleged “iPhone killers” already? Yes we have. Witness the long line of wannabees, including: Samsung Instinct, HTCTouch, Verizon Voyager, NokiaTube, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, the list goes on. The one that could give iPhone a run for its money is Google’s Android mobile phone platform. I guess that competition is good in the end – it keeps Apple on their toes.
What are your thoughts? Is there a true iPhone killer out there?
