Any news on thunder coming to GSM?

intellekt · Thread Author #1 07-24-2008, 12:08 AM

I really like this phone but I haven't heard anything about it going to tmobile or at&t. I'm in Canada but I'd want to get it unlocked if it ever came out on the US USM networks. So has anyone heard anything?

Blackberry Guy · #2 07-24-2008, 12:25 AM

The Thunder is suppose to be a Verizon and Vodafone exclusive, at least for a little while. Haven't heard anything about a GSM release that will work on the North American bands.

intellekt · Thread Author #3 07-24-2008, 11:17 AM

weak rim.. weak

blackberry9999 · #4 07-24-2008, 11:24 AM

Why would they not offer it on a GSM phone? What kind of marketing strategy is that?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Siggy · #5 07-24-2008, 04:36 PM

Their main priority with the Thunder is to provide an 'iPhone' equivilent for Verizon... I suspect that Verizon are paying them well for the exclusive rights.

That way, it is not really competing directly against the iPhone and so Blackberry will have the chance to produce Version II before it does have to go mano-a-mano with Apple... hopefully learning more lessons from Version I than Apple did (I mean, the iPhone 3G is basically identical to the original apart from the whole 3G thing... the GPS is improved but was already basically functional, the headphone socket is no longer recessed and they have actually made it worse in some ways since the back is curved and so won't lie flat - all of which are incremental improvements at best).

Until Blackberrry establishes themselves with a touchscreen option, their niche is the 'hard' keyboard market and that is their real concern, which is why I think the Bold is more important to them than the Thunder at the moment. If the Bold is not great, they will start losing market share, especially since there are various other hard keyboard cellphones available. They need to preserve that niche in order to have the resources to compete with Apple for the touchscreen market.

Chord · #6 07-24-2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by intellekt

I really like this phone

Let's wait until we actually use a device before we declare our love/like for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackberry9999

Why would they not offer it on a GSM phone? What kind of marketing strategy is that?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

More of a business strategy than a marketing one. I'm pretty sure VZW and Vodaphone made a sweet deal with them.

Crucial_Xtreme · #7 07-25-2008, 07:50 AM

@Siggy: the Thunder is priority # 1. That is all I can say.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

jidx · #8 07-25-2008, 07:57 AM

I doubt verizon will be able to keep it as an exclusive.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Siggy · #9 07-25-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucial_Xtreme

@Siggy: the Thunder is priority # 1. That is all I can say.

Why ?

Since it is exclusive to Verizon, why prioritize something with a limited market that appears to be further from release and which has more risk attached to it (being a venture into the hitherto un-Blackberry world of Touch Screens) ?

You may be right, but it does not make any sense without some justification.

As for the Bold, it has been extensively beta tested by 'real' people and there is every reason to think it is capable of being released immediately if they have actually built enough of them to meet demand. It is an iterative upgrade of their existing phones and so should have demand from existing BB users if no-one else and it is potentially available to all carriers.

The only reason that the Thunder might be prioritized that I can think of would be to fill the CDMA niche that has been ignored by Apple. However, the HTC Diamond and a variety of other touchscreens are also being released on CDMA in the next few months and I would worry that a Version I BB touchscreen would lose credibility against Version II other touchscreens. That would hurt Blackberry's chances to transition to the touchscreen market for other carriers.

Siggy · #10 07-25-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorgeed

I doubt verizon will be able to keep it as an exclusive.

It is exclusive on day 1. I don't know what the sales targets required will be, but Verizon will not have accepted them if they are not acheivable.

However, I am sure that Verizon will not have exclusive access to all touchscreen Blackberries for all time... By the time Apple's deal with AT&T ends, I am sure that AT&T will have a version of the Thunder available; Version II of it, if necessary.

Crucial_Xtreme · #11 07-25-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siggy

why prioritize something with a limited market

.

Are you saying that I am wrong?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siggy

why prioritize something with a limited market

Think about that statement for a while.

Siggy · #12 07-25-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucial_Xtreme

Are you saying that I am wrong?

I have no idea whether you are right or wrong...

If I ruled the universe and made Blackberry's decisions, I would be more concerned with maintaining my current niche and releasing the 95% finished cellphone that can be sold to any and all carriers. The Thunder is only going to be available on Verizon and will be competing with the HTC Diamond, the LG Dare, the Instinct etc even on that subset of the overall cellphone market. Plus, all of those are second or third attempts from their makers and most first attempts have serious flaws. Even the Jesus phone had crappy call quality, limited email and synchronisation capabilities and (still) no cut-and-paste.

Blackberry can choose to prioritise whatever they want. But making Touchscreens into the phone to get (by prioritising the Thunder over the Bold) is likely to kill the hard keyboard market faster without guaranteeing that BB will succeed in the touch market.

It is also likely to mean that the Thunder has more teething problems since they will have less time available for resolving any issues.

You may well be right but, if you are, my inclination would be to short Blackberry shares.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucial_Xtreme

Think about that statement for a while.

Does Blackberry want to 'own' the smartphone market or to be also-rans to Apple ? By ducking a straight fight, they are acknowledging that Apple has a technological advantage. Whether it is true or not, that will be the perception and perceptions often become true in time.

bmcclure937 · #13 07-25-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siggy

...why prioritize something with a limited market...

Exactly...

Think about it for yourself, and you may be able to reason your way to an unexpected conclusion.

Siggy · #14 07-25-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmcclure937

Exactly...

Think about it for yourself, and you may be able to reason your way to an unexpected conclusion.

There are two possible reasons I can think of;

1. The Thunder is so good that Verizon will wipe the floor with AT&T and have throngs of new customers, with the Diamond, Dare, Instinct etc all being alsorans.

2. Blackberry knows that the Thunder will underachieve in the first version and is using Verizon customers as its beta testers to find out what needs to be improved most for version 2 which will then be released to all networks.

Crucial_Xtreme · #15 07-25-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siggy

There are two possible reasons I can think of;

1. The Thunder is so good that Verizon will wipe the floor with AT&T and have throngs of new customers, with the Diamond, Dare, Instinct etc all being alsorans.

2. Blackberry knows that the Thunder will underachieve in the first version and is using Verizon customers as its beta testers to find out what needs to be improved most for version 2 which will then be released to all networks.

you are missing the point completely. You will find out what I am talking about one day. When that day comes, I will refer you to this thread.