14 DAY TRIAL // Verizon Wireless and RIM will come up with a new handset that's bound to create a hype greater than the one Apple's iPhone did. We're talking about the first BlackBerry touchscreen smartphone, which we've seen before, in a not that favorable video review.
We know now for sure that the smartphone will be officially called BlackBerry Storm, and that's because it's expected to take the wireless industry by storm and "crush the competition" (these are Verizon's own words).
Since it's a full-touch device, Storm's functionality revolves around its touchscreen display. The size and resolution of this display are not yet known, but Verizon states that it is "one of the largest, highest resolution screens in the wireless industry." In consequence, it might have a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, like HTC's new Touch HD and like Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1, which would be great.
Display aside, the upcoming BlackBerry will also feature an on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard, advanced Web browsing and email capabilities (visual voicemail included), a 3.2 Megapixel camera and VZ Navigator (hence it has built-in GPS). Previously leaked info said that the Storm would be shipped with an 8GB memory card in the package, so users would get enough storage space, regardless of the smartphone's internal memory.
A not so great piece of news is that US customers who happen to dislike Verizon have to forget about the Storm, because the smartphone will be exclusively sold via the second largest North American carrier.
The release date of BlackBerry's new touchscreen smartphone was not yet announced, but Verizon says this will happen "very soon." So it seems that all you touchscreen and BlackBerry fans out there in the US don't have much to wait until the Storm finally reaches the stores and, eventually, your pockets.
Until then, you might want to watch a video presentation of the Storm, which is up and running on Verizon's official website –check it out here while you still can.