BlackBerry Storm 2 in New Photos, BlackBerry 9990 Surfaces

Mobile phone maker Research In Motion is set to release a new version of its highly popular BlackBerry Storm device before the end of the ongoing year, though there are no exact details on when that will actually happen. For what it's worth, it shouldn't be too long before the touchscreen device becomes available for purchase, as Storm 2 dummies have already been reported to have reached Verizon's stores, yet an official announcement remains to be made.

However, until that happens, we can still admire the second Storm in all its splendor in a series of new images that emerged recently and which show it running on the German Vodafone network. The OS packed inside the device seems to be 5.0.0.138, while the codename for the phone is Odin, something that was already known.

Compared to the previous Storm versions, the new one should bring a wide range of improvements, along with a series of new features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity. According to IntoMobile, the Storm 2 should become available for purchase sometime in October, both in Europe via Vodafone, where it sports the model number 9520, and in the US via Verizon, where it will come as BlackBerry 9550.

Beside the Storm 2 a new BlackBerry device has been spotted, namely BlackBerry 9990, which seems to come to the market running under OS 5.7.0.151. However, there are no details on the handset and, although the device model has been heard of before, there are great chances that the image showing it and its platform is fake.

According to some voices over the Internet, the 9990 might be either Storm 2 or the rumored touchscreen-enabled Magnum. On the other hand, the 5.7 OS doesn't seem that close to reality, as most people haven't yet heard about it for sure. One way or the other, time will tell whether this handset and its OS are fake or not, so stay tuned to learn more details on the matter. The entire photo gallery of Storm 2 can be seen here.