A new name would make since as the Storm namesake doesn’t exactly have a good reputation and RIM has been known to switch up names before the launch. The 9630 Tour was once called the Niagara. We’ll just have to wait and see when either RIM or Verizon finally announces the phone.

We’ve got a bit of good news for anybody lookin’ to get their mitts on the BlackBerry Storm over in the UK. According to Pocket-lint, Vodafone will be bringing the touchscreen handset to the sovereign isle sometime in the next two months.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

Some tipster managed to sneak their camera phone out to snag some shots during today’s internal Verizon employee briefing on the BlackBerry Storm. One’s a basic product shot, while the other two show the handset’s browser in landscape and portrait orientations. Sure, the shots sort of look like they were taken from the inside of a space helmet during a snow storm, but this person likely risked their job for these – high fives to them!

Two more shots after the jump.

[Via CrackBerry]

Click image for the embiggened version

Today’s supposed to be the big news day for the BlackBerry Storm on Verizon and, lo and behold, documents prepping Verizon employees for the news have started hitting desks. While it doesn’t mention pricing or reveal the release date, it does confirm the high-resolution touch screen (“RIM’s highest resolution screen ever”), “Quad Band connectivity”, full HTML browsing, Visual voice mail, and the 3.2 megapixel camera.

The document talks up the launch like they’re going to announce it in some way where people will suddenly rush the store in mobs demanding Storm information, so we’ll probably be hearing more about this all soon. Or they could just leak a few more documents, and probably get the same coverage on the same blogs.

[Thanks, HoFo readers]

Word is circling that a Verizon internal email foreshadows some “exciting news” tomorrow, September 15. Forums are abuzz that the news really is the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm announcement derived from the emailed image showing clouds and a fingerprint. We already knew that the Storm’s launch was pushed back to November-ish so a possible announcement timing does fit the schedule. For all we know, it could be a new super-spy movie produced by Verizon Wireless that takes place in a fog. On the other hand, the fingerprint image could refer to a new sign-in method that’s going to be installed at all VZW stores. Whatever it is, we’ll find out tomorrow.

HowardForums via BGR

BoyGenius is reporting that at least a birdie or two dropped by with a bit of bad news for those anxious for the BlackBerry Thunder Storm: it’s facing delays.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

BoyGenius is reporting that at least a birdie or two dropped by with a bit of bad news for those anxious for the BlackBerry Thunder Storm: it’s facing delays.

If what they’re hearing is right, “Technical Acceptance” testing and adjustments at Verizon HQ may set the Storm back 3-4 weeks to a mid-November window. As BlackBerry’s first touchscreen, the Storm is going to be harshly scrutinized and nit-picked – it’s not too difficult to imagine that the folks at Verizon are willing to push it back a fortnight or two for the sake of polishing it up.

Apple’s iPhone 3G has the App Store, 3G connectivity and legions of fans. RIM’s BlackBerry has business class ubiquity, a physical keyboard and the not-so-unfortunate fact that it rhymes with crack. Pros and cons on both sides of the smartphone fence, but Apple is making inroads as an enterprise solution, the traditional breeding grounds of the BlackBerry.

One of the biggest differentiators between the two phones is the virtual keyboard used by the iPhone, while the BlackBerry utilizes a physical QWERTY keyboard. No small difference, as form and function collide head on when considering the needs of a massive audience. If the virtual keyboard gains the respect of enterprise, RIM could be in some pretty deep water. Recent reports have shown their touchscreen interface needs work. However, if they decide to follow in Apple’s footsteps, they very well could end up in the dustbin of obscurity if not irrelevance. Who would want to bother with a repeater when you could side with an innovator?

Ars Technica is running an opinion piece dealing with what RIM must do to counter the massively popular iPhone. Besides highlighting the issue of the virtual vs. physical keyboard, battery life and price are other major differences RIM would need to focus on to remain relevant.

One other factor remains that is sort of an X factor: The App Store. The fact that Apple has a massive and loyal fan base practically guarantees users are going to be addicted to clever, new apps for the foreseeable future. Did you know? RIM has one too, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that Apple’s is a mite more popular.

With Verizon carrying an 8130, an 8330, and a 7130, is it really any surprise that they’ve re-dubbed the BlackBerry 9500 series (Thunder) as the 9530?

Some sneak managed to grab a screen cap of the latest product inventory screen, and shot it over to the guys at BGR. There it is, in all its glory: BB9530T.

The source also solidified past murmurs that the device would launch on the VeeZeeDub come Oct. 13th. 65 more days until we get to see how well RIM plays with touchscreens, folks!

According to Fudzilla, the highly anticipated touchscreen device from RIM will launch on Verizon Wireless on October 8. Let’s take this one with a huge grain of salt since Fudzilla isn’t really known for this sort of thing. We all tend to leave RIM-related news up to BGR and now CrackBerry. Anyway, Fud claims that their moles are saying the Thunder will be equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera, microSD slot and OTA mp3 downloads from Rhapsody. No word on price, but it’s a real shame that Verizon has first dibs on this device. It might be a hot gadget, but Verizon doesn’t really know what to do with hot ticket items. Let’s hope for their sake they don’t mess this up like the iPhone deal.

That’s what one of our RIM ninjas are telling us! We’ve got the scoop on the BlackBerry Thunder, and contrary to most reports, we’ve been told that the unit is nowhere near being able to enter production, let alone being released. Here’s a quote: “Thunder is in no way shape or form market-ready. If Bold was any indication, Thunder won’t be ready for at least another 4-5 months.” Our source goes on to tell us that the keyboard is incredibly annoying to type on, and the screen actually shows ripples even when pressed ever-so-lightly. There is an accelerometer in here, but it goes “bonkers” when the device is moved. In its current state, the UI blinks and lags when you try to scroll, and for every key press, you have to wait half a second until you get a response. Our guy, when talking about haptic feedback, said that the screen “clicks.” We were informed there are “buttons” on each corner, so when you press the screen, you might feel one click, two clicks, or four simultaneously. We’re told these four independant buttons actually press, so you do “click” the screen. RIM implemented a touch-and-drag approach which is the only way to select on screen buttons at this point. We were also told this was the latest build of the software, and to quote him, “Most of the people who have handled it thinks it’s a joke.”

The “juicy” details include: localized haptics meaning when you pess the screen, it feels like you pressed a button on the screen, and both a full Qwerty keyboard, when the handsets in landscape mode, and SureType keyboard, for portrait mode.

Crackberry also said that according to people who have actually used the keyboard on the handset, its a “really easy and enjoyable experience.”

Word is that Thunder production is expected to start up this week, so more news on the latest iPhone killer coming soon.

While we can’t report that Boy Genius isn’t a freak (“You all know the Thunder right? Well, looky looky who got a cookie. Yeah peoples, live shot of the BlackBerry Thunder right here.”), we can report that he has some more information on the BlackBerry Thunder, the “iPhone-killer” from RIM. Not much new – just a big screen and a bunch of buttons – and I’m not sure BlackBerry users want something sans keyboard, but who am I to judge.

The WSJ is reporting that this should launch in the fall, just in time for no one to care.

After the BGR first announced to the world that Verizon and Vodafone would have exclusivity to the Thunder, the WSJ did a little more digging and managed to find out that the device will launch in Q3. That’s it for now.

Did I just say that the norm is for AT&T to get RIM’s latest BlackBerries first? FAIL. According to the BGR, Verizon will have exclusive rights to the Thunder aka 9500 aka Storm aka the first touchscreen BB. But fret not BB fans for the Thunder will be a world traveler like its 8800 series brethren and run GSM HSPA. It’s a bit unclear whether it will be EV-DO or possibly 4G, but it’s a bit too early to predict that. The Thunder has only four physical hard keys sans keyboard. I’m a bit skeptical considering the latter and how I don’t think touchscreen phones are useful. Well, they are to a certain extent, but a BlackBerry without a keyboard worries me.

As stated earlier, Verizon will have an exclusivity rights on the Thunder unless it meets a quota. We’ll see how this pans out, but we’re a long ways away before this launches.