Reports have been made that RIM is going to Launch  a TouchScreen BlackBerry in third quarter of 2008. The device, is going to be known as  Thunder, is to be sold exclusively through Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodafone internationally.

Introducing a touchscreen BlackBerry would put RIM in more direct competition with Apple’s popular iPhone. A touchscreen BlackBerry would also build on RIM’s continuing push into the broader cellphone buyer market as it now wants to diversify its buyer kind beyond the executives, lawyers, professionals etc.

Last week, Ontario-based RIM have also launched their new product BlackBerry Bold, a sleek smartphone with a keyboard aimed at its core base of business users.

Thunder would include both CDMA and GSM support for world roaming, and would also handle 3.5G or pre-4G data: it may support up to Ultra Mobile Broadband (also known as EVDO Revision C) on CDMA networks, downloading up to 280Mbps in peak conditions, while adding full High Speed Packet Access support on GSM services. This support would allow the new BlackBerry to operate in nearly any country with 3G or better Internet access.

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