BlackBerry Thunder's new OS pictured? Maybe not.

If the old saying that you can't believe everything you read holds true, then it must be doubly so for images you see on the internet. Such is possibly the case in the latest batch of leaked pictures doing the rounds on the old information superhighway. Lately (i.e. today) shots of RIM's new touchscreen phone -- the Thunder -- have surfaced showing off what's supposed to be a new version of the BlackBerry OS (4.7) running its media player. Now we're not saying these pics aren't really real, but what we are saying is that these shots look an awful lot like renders to us, and since no one can verify them beyond an "anonymous source," we're just going to recommend a healthy dose of you-know-what, okay?

[Via MobileSyrup]

[Danielsson @ Jul 7th 2008 7:27PM]

Hi!

Would just like to know, which blackberry is the best rival to the iPhone? I'm in the mood to see how green the grass is on the other side side! :)

-From swed.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 7th 2008 7:46PM]

This one.

Have you considered the Touch Pro?

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 7:50PM]

he said which blackberry

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 7th 2008 8:14PM]

And I said this one. If looking for ones already out, then obviously the Bold.

[Anthony @ Jul 7th 2008 8:22PM]

Bold ain't really out just yet (but the silver accented phone & rounded design is nice looking).

Blackberry's not really a direct competitor to the iPhone (yet). Touchscreen it still pretty much iPhone territory (sorry Viewty & friends).

My wife really likes the Curve & is a really recent convert from ultra-simple phones. I'm a non-QWERTY man myself so I really can only steer you away from the dark side of huge keyboards.

[GatgetMan @ Jul 7th 2008 8:46PM]

iBerry

[Wormbolt @ Jul 7th 2008 9:22PM]

@anthony

Don't you mean the iPhone isn't really a competitor to the Blackberry yet, due to it's lack of functionality?

[Anthony @ Jul 7th 2008 10:50PM]

@Wormbolt - you could flip it around. I make no claims to really appreciate the iPhone like others. I just stated the obvious- neither is a direct competitor for the other at this point.

iPhone's eyeing the suits (Enterprise), but Blackberry's got them beat for saturation at this point.

Go Nokia E71! (or N82 for the "suits" among us who prefer phones to be phones-PMP-camera & enjoy leaving email @ the office or hotel room).

[JohnTitor @ Jul 7th 2008 11:24PM]

Slow down there Anthony, you probably just forgot that Touchscreen phones existed long before Apple released one, and that many are more advanced and powerful, I almost thought you were a fanboy there

[Tone @ Jul 7th 2008 7:29PM]

that is one ugly ass phone.

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 7:35PM]

Thats one thing you have in common with it. I kid I kid.

[ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 7th 2008 7:49PM]

Really? I've never owned a Blackberry but they're everywhere and the ones I do see usually look pretty ugly IMO.

However the Pearl and this phone looks pretty sick to me...

Still waiting for the Touch Pro though...

[Minilap @ Jul 7th 2008 8:14PM]

It's a business phone not a fashion statement.

[GatgetMan @ Jul 7th 2008 9:02PM]

Look at your avatar.... then look at your comment....

You have no business speaking of anything remotely visual...

[Tone @ Jul 7th 2008 9:24PM]

LOL i love it. My comment was a success.

[Zach @ Jul 7th 2008 10:26PM]

a success in that you riled up engadget's commenting crowd?

if so, congratulations. just don't forget your helmet when you leave.

[AlekZander @ Jul 7th 2008 7:35PM]

Not to mention those shots are pretty much the EXACT iPhone UI but with a different color scheme. As much as I hate RIM, I'd like to think they'd change it up a LITTLE.

[gad get @ Jul 7th 2008 7:39PM]

Hello there, Apple fanboy!

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 7:41PM]

don't jump to conclusions he isn't praising the iphone ui he is actually kinda saying the opposite.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 7th 2008 7:47PM]

The middle shot looks like the HTC Audio plugin found on custom Roms.

[caniac_01 @ Jul 7th 2008 8:05PM]

copy of the iPhone UI? umm.. no.. it's not, everyone says that about EVERY touchscreen phone that comes out.. but seriously, what looks so similar?... the buttons at the bottom of the screen?.. pretty sure nearly EVERY touchscreen phoen I've seen has onscreen buttoms similar to that for easy navigation. I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a RIM/Blackberry Fanboy, but its because of phones like the Bold and Pearl, and no this!.. their sexy and have an easy to use interface that integrates everything I could possibly want in a phone, and then some.

Please Telus.. pick this up!

[chickenator @ Jul 7th 2008 7:59PM]

HTC Fanboy spotted!

[heshmati4 @ Jul 7th 2008 8:49PM]

caniac_01 isn't that what an iphone does??? Integrates everything into a sexy device??

[GatgetMan @ Jul 7th 2008 9:07PM]

Would changing things a "LITTLE" provide a "pretty much EXACT" result?

[rock99rock @ Jul 8th 2008 12:35AM]

Anyone with a curve or 8800 will tell you, this is just a minor upgrade to the already present media application. iphone UI my ass.

[holycow @ Jul 8th 2008 2:32AM]

It looks more like a Samsung P2 UI...

[rudy @ Jul 7th 2008 7:36PM]

Let me call fake, I thought the thunder was exclusive to verizon, how come it says sprint on the pics

[KeegdnaB @ Jul 7th 2008 7:42PM]

because it doesn't say Sprint

[mphayvanh @ Jul 7th 2008 7:43PM]

If you're referring to Leona Lewis -- from 2007 album "Spirit", then I can see how you can mistaken that for Sprint. It's a Verizon phone alright--do you know why?! Cuz it's butt ugly!

[dcny @ Jul 7th 2008 7:47PM]

It does not say Sprint, it says Spirit on one of them thats Leona Lewis's Album title.

[p3t3b2 @ Jul 8th 2008 3:31AM]

Speaking of Sprint, that looks like the new UI Sprint has adopted, it's very similar to the Instincts UI.

[Rogue_Genius @ Jul 7th 2008 7:37PM]

John Mayer listens to Leona Lewis? LOL

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jul 7th 2008 7:53PM]

Damn, you're stupid! These are shots of a different phone, and shots of a phone that isn't owned by an idiot celeb.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 7th 2008 8:27PM]

There, there now little cubby, go back into hibernation and don't come out until you understand what jokes are.

[josh @ Jul 7th 2008 8:55PM]

@ Lowest Ranked

Your name rocks.

[derX @ Jul 8th 2008 5:17PM]

You I must applaud. One, your name absolutely rocks (as does Lowest_Ranked...which is usually a misnomer). Also, to frequent Engadget readers, your comment was hilarious.

I'm just happy he wasn't egotistical enough to listen to himself all day.

[Josh @ Jul 7th 2008 7:38PM]

i would like to see the rest of the interface before passing any judgment on the phone. My biggest problem with blackberry is having to pay 40$ a month for corporate email... that is quite a bit more than the 15$ a month i can get the internet for on just any old WM phone and use it's built in exchange support.

[Rogue_Genius @ Jul 7th 2008 7:38PM]

You mean the album title "S-P-I-R-I-T" ?

"sprint"? Not so much.

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 7:43PM]

rudy you just got owned.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 7th 2008 8:29PM]

Speaking of owned, the two of you (and the two below) failed to comment/reply on the correct response.

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 9:49PM]

Not really i replied to the post in which rudy got owned. Its not my fault if the original poster messed up.

[Rogue_Genius @ Jul 8th 2008 5:55PM]

you are correct. (- 1) for me :-(

[Mjgeronimo @ Jul 7th 2008 7:52PM]

haha sprint... it says "SPIRIT" are you Illiterate?

[deyanimay @ Jul 7th 2008 7:55PM]

maybe he needs glasses.

[Scott @ Jul 7th 2008 7:53PM]

For the life of me I just cannot figure out why people still like Blackberries? I will admit the ONE i have owned was a lot more stable than the Palm OS or WM OS phones I've had...but that was the ONLY "pro" to it. In every other imagineable area it didn't even hold a candle to Palm OS smartphones let alone WM ones. I've played around with the new ones and I don't see any compelling reason for these over real smartphones?

What gives, why is blackberry sill in demand?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jul 7th 2008 7:54PM]

It's the only other device that has a name like a fruit...

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 7th 2008 8:19PM]

The current generation Blackberry smartphones are miles ahead of what they used to be. In fact, I just dumped my HTC Mogul for a Blackberry Curve. It is everything WinMo isn't; fast, reliable, good Wi-Fi, good media player, and very efficient to use. Sure, applications are still rare (and expensive), but for a phone that "just works", nothing comes close.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 7th 2008 8:20PM]

Probably because people are used to them.

[ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 7th 2008 7:54PM]

This will have a touch screen right? It looks massive. Good work there RIM.

Seriously the problem with all these wannabe iPhone clones is that

1) The screen is too damn small
2) The icons and UI as a whole look like shit when compared to the sexiness of the iPhone
3) The phones form and design/appearance aren't as good or visually pleasing as the iPhone.

However this "Thunder" may actually be a legit contender. I know I'm intrigued.

[JerkfacedFed @ Jul 7th 2008 7:55PM]

god what is with everyone thinking what apple does is the only way to do it. touchscreen with no keyboard is a nightmare, please dont change the entire ui to accommodate touchscreen only controls, release a scrollpad and keyboard version!