I am currently using an iPhone and love what it has to offer. My major draw to this device was the seamless integration with iTunes and the ability to have an all-in-one device that can be my phone, PDA, and iPod; but needless to say there are a lot of draw backs with the iPhone. For one, the call quality is not all that great and the reception is not on par compared to similar devices. In addition, the email experience is not even close to what Blackberry can offer and the non-replicable battery makes it really hard to use it as a media device when you really need to use it as a phone throughout the day.

Blackberry Sync got a tip for the yet to be announced and now highly anticipated BlackBerry 9500 aka Thunder. It will feature a huge 360×480 touch display (slightly larger than the one on an iPhone) and will run OS 4.7 rather than 5.0. The Thunder will be available in both GSM and CDMA format and will run a carrier music store that will allow users to purchase songs from their device (similar to iTunes on the iPhone). “Haptic Techonloy” will be built to provide users with real feedback when the display is pressed. It also features both SureType and a full QWERTY keyboard. So when the Thunder is upright it will use a SureType keyboard (think Pearl) and when it’s sideways a full QWERTY keyboard. Plus it will also sport a 5 mega pixel camera.

There has been a lot of iPhone clones out there, but non-has really caught my eye like the Thunder has. Let me explain, I have always thought that BlackBerry got it right with the phone and email / web portion of their device; however, they have been lagging far behind in the media and data syncing arena. With the introduction of the Bold (geared towards business users) and the Thunder, they may have the perfect combo to really challenge the iPhone. With the addition of their new Media Sync application, it will allow oriented BlackBerry smartphones to sync their iTunes music with their BlackBerry. The real draw for me is while I am in the States, I can finally leave T-Mobile and AT&T and hope to the more favorable Verizon network.

RIM, in a press release has answered the rumored 3G iPhone with their Bold-est Blackberry yet. The 9000 tag name Blackberry Bold is said to be release around the world sometime this summer. The released images of the devices looks awesome and the specs are no joke either.

Here are some note-worthy specs Blackberry Bold will sport:

• 624Mhz CPU
• 480×300 Half-VGA screen
• Micro SD support up t 16GB
• 2MP camera with flash and 5x digital zoom
• Quad-band Edge, Tri-band HSDPA

[Via Blackberrybold.com]

Verizon’s new plan to go global begins with the launch of the BlackBerry 8830 Worldwide Edition alongside their new Global BlackBerry Service.

The Global BlackBerry Service will be available to all Verizon business customers on the 14 of May, but will not be offered in their retail stores until the May 28. The Global BlackBerry Service is an “always-on, always-connected” service that Verizon claims will allow its users to place and receive calls in 150 countries, and send and receive email in 60 countries. The expected cost of the BlackBerry 8830 Worldwide Edition will be $299.99 USD (no word on a European launch yet).

[Via Gizmodo]