Taking a cue from the success of Apple's iPhone, Blackberry has revealed their latest technical wonder, The Thunder. Those expecting a plethora of hardware buttons will be disappointed to hear that Blackberry has designed their latest mobile technology entry to make use of a touch-screen interface. Based on early photos we can safely conclude that send, end, back, menu, volume, lock, and play / pause buttons will supplement the touch screen interface.

The biggest disadvantage thus far is that apparently the unit is going to be a Verizon exclusive here in the United States (and Vodafone abroad). With a third quarter release date (Q3) it's looking like the unit will be a reality this Fall. Research in Motion aficionados may have noticed that this date comes hot on the heels of RIM's other big release: The Blackberry Bold (9000 series). Not only will the Bold look more traditional with a physical QWERTY thumb-board, it is set to be released for AT&T, and T-Mobile.

In addition these new beauties (the Bold for certain) will run the Blackberry OS 4.6. Prices for the Bold (pictured above) are estimated at around $350 while the Thunder's MSRP has yet to be released.