It's the same phone, essentially, just refined in nearly every way. It's not the Storm reinvented, it doesn't shoot lasers, and it's not going to kill anything. It's just better than before.

Sure, Press Me Anywhere

SurePress, RIM's "the whole screen's a button!" touchscreen technology, lives on. But now it's four buttons. Four piezo-electric buttons that live under the screen, to be precise. What that means for you is that wherever you press on the screen, it feels way more localized, like the screen's only being pushed in exactly where you click it. Before, it was like the whole screen was on a see-saw.

The re-balancing of the screen lets you go far more smoothly and efficiently from one letter to another while typing, rather than waiting for it to pop back up every time. A software change—which is available for the first Storm too—enables true multitouch typing (for two fingers, but that's enough). You can actually take advantage of the new screen and type much faster than you could on the original Storm. In other words, the mechanics of SurePress actually work now.

The entire build of the mechanism is less janky too—the giant chasms between the screen and the rest of the phone begging for turkey jerky bits to get sucked like a gaping maw have been closed, and the four main buttons are now a seamless part of pushscreen. Oh, and one clever touch is that the screen's dead stiff whenever the phone's off—if it doesn't press down, you can tell the phone's off (though it does mean one less thing to fiddle with).

SurePress, while vastly more usable and comfortable now, is still flawed as a touchscreen navigational concept: It's predicated on literally putting an obstacle in front of you that has to be smashed in every time you want to do something. It's not an optimal experience. And it ultimately fails in what it supposedly sets out to do by "separating navigation from confirmation," to use RIM's verbiage: To make you type more accurately. It just makes you type slower and wonder why you can't use the Storm's quite dandy touchscreen like any other touchscreen, since the keyboard and screen are otherwise great.

Speed Isn't Everything

The Storm 2 is quicker all around. The response of nearly every element is just so much springier than the first Storm—I'm talking versus the launch software to be clear, since frankly, that was the last time I used the Storm. Apps pop up instantly most of the time, hang-ups are a rare occasion, the accelerometer kicks in quickly to rotate the keyboard, and it moves with the kind of speed you expect it to. The phone feels way more like it should. This extends in some respects to the browser, too, which seems a little more capable—though by no means as stacked as a WebKit browser. I wish the camera was faster to start up though; it's still sluggish most of the time.

There are a few slight visual tweaks to the OS since last year as well that make it more look more polished (I'm very surprised I noticed). For instance there's a more matte, almost Apple-like gradient for highlighted items, like in Messages. Icons are a little more sober, which reflects the darker, slightly more understated look of the phone itself. My favorite software tweak is probably the true QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode, instead RIM's SureType system that previously foisted in front of your thumbs. It's better than Android's—and HTC's reskin of Android's on the Hero—though not quite as good as the iPhone's.

While it's got a speed boost and a bit of extra iconographic spitshine, it is still fundamentally the same experience—the Storm 2 touchscreen interface still feels like it was designed by people with physical keyboards soldered into their brains. From the grand scheme of the UI, the standard BlackBerry setup re-jiggered for touch rather than a ground-up design, to the BlackBerry apps that clearly aren't designed with Storm in mind, there's a definite sense of non-belonging with the Storm 2, like when all of the puzzle pieces don't quite fit together and you jam them together to make it work anyway. In other words, it tries real hard to be a touch phone and a BlackBerry, but it doesn't do either of them exceptionally well.

The Storm 2 is where the Storm should've started, but at the same time, it's coming into a different world than a year ago—even on its own carrier—where not breaking new ground is simply moving too slow. More than that, while the Storm is overall a good phone, unless you have a very specific set of criteria for your phone—that is, a touchscreen BlackBerry—you probably shouldn't settle for a phone that doesn't do the touch or BlackBerry aspects (read: typing) spectacularly. There are phones that do each of those things better. If you want a BlackBerry on Verizon, get a BlackBerry Tour, which has an awesome keyboard, if a few trackball problems. If you want a touchscreen smartphone on Verizon, you should get a Droid. At least, that's how it's looking so far—come back early next week for our full in-depth Droid review.

SurePress actually works now

Wi-Fi!

It's pretty quick, most of the time

SurePress is still a mediocre concept, at best

Still doesn't fit in as a BlackBerry

There are phones that do what it's good at much better

A POWERFUL NEW STORM ROLLS ONTO VERIZON WIRELESS' NETWORK ON OCT. 28

New Operating System for Existing BlackBerry Storm Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WATERLOO, Ontario – Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm2™ smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications stores, online at www.verizonwireless.com, and through business sales channels beginning Oct. 28. The BlackBerry Storm2 with BlackBerry® OS 5.0 evolves the BlackBerry® touchscreen platform with hundreds of hardware and software enhancements – including new SurePress™ "clickable" display technology and built-in Wi-Fi® – delivering the exceptional multimedia experience and communications capabilities customers have come to expect from their BlackBerry smartphones.

Key Features:
· Smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate
· Large (3.25"), dazzling high-resolution 480 x 360 display at 184 ppi
· Capacitive touchscreen with integrated functions (Send, End, Menu, Escape) and new SurePress technology that makes clicking the display practically effortless
· 3G and global connectivity support for making phone calls in more than 220 countries and accessing data in more than 185 countries (with more than 80 destinations in 3G)
· Network Connectivity: EV-DO Revision A; UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz); and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
· Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
· 256 MB of Flash memory
· 2 GB of onboard media storage and a microSD™/SDHD memory card slot with a 16 GB card included

Software Updates on BlackBerry Storm2:
· Features BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes typing accuracy and selection improvements, as well as usability and visual enhancements such as inertial scrolling, spin boxes that make it easier to set dates and times, gradient shading on buttons, and more use of animation
· BlackBerry® Browser is improved with faster JavaScript and CSS processing as well as support for Gears and BlackBerry Widgets
· Customers running BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5.0 will gain the ability to set follow-up flags, manage e-mail folders, access remote files (Windows Shares), forward appointments, view calendar attachments, and more

Additional Features and Specifications:
· 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, Image Stabilization (IS), flash and video recording capabilities
· Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology, loud distortion-free speakerphone and face detection (proximity sensor) that prevents accidental clicks and blanks the screen while the customer is on the phone
· Media player for videos, pictures and music, plus support for BlackBerry Desktop Manager for both PCs and Macs, and BlackBerry® Media Sync, for easily syncing Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*
· 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls
· Bluetooth® (v2.1) capable with support for Secure Simple Pairing, hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals
· Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging; and Verizon Wireless' VZ NavigatorSM service is pre-loaded
· V CAST Music with Rhapsody
· Access to BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones, with categories including games, entertainment, IM and social networking, news, weather, productivity and more
· Support for Verizon Wireless' Mobile Broadband Connect tethering service
· Removable, rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides up to 5.5 hours of talk time or up to 11.2 days of standby time

Pricing and Availability:
· The BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone is available beginning Oct. 28 for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data plans for the BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan.

New Operating System for Existing BlackBerry Storm Customers
· Existing BlackBerry Storm customers will be able to update their handsets to the new BlackBerry OS 5.0 software via Web software load (www.blackberry.com/update), BlackBerry Desktop Manager, or from Verizon Wireless' download site (www.verizonwireless.com/storm). The software is available today.
· For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers can contact their Business Sales Representatives at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.

[Verizon]

How iminient? Well, If you believe earlier reports, there is a good chance that the launch could take place as early as October 25th. [Crackberry via MobileCrunch]

So what happened? Officially, the reason that Verizon hasn't announced the Storm 2 is that "it's not available yet," and when it is, they'll "share that like normal." O-kay. Unofficially, well, we just think it's weird, but why you tell us? [Storm 2 Coverage @ Giz]

In a phrase, not much. Mossberg likes the Storm 2 much more than the maligned Storm, that's for sure, but we don't have too much new insight. Looks like the Storm 2 fixes some of the more glaring flaws of its predecessor: Wi-Fi and a full QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode are two features we're glad to see confirmed. Looks like we've also got confirmation that the Storm 2 does away with the tactile clicky keyboard as well, instead providing some kind haptic feedback that should confirm a touch selection, a technique that's been used (in various forms) by companies like LG and Samsung for years. But this is RIM's first BlackBerry with the feature, and hopefully it's easier to use than the Storm's clickscreen.

Mossberg also hints at the device's launch date and price:

Verizon hasn't set a launch date or price for the Storm2, but it's likely to appear in November at around $200.

....which, of course, was pretty obvious. Walt actually says the Storm 2 "worked well" in his preview, which is something not said by too many about the original Storm, but we'll have to wait until we can play with it ourselves to be sure. [WSJ]

The Times mentions its redesigned screen, that it actually "gives the user the sensation of pushing a physical button when pressing a number on the glass touch screen" and relates a really curious anecdote from Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdams, who let some students play with it: "They came back and said ‘Oh, my gosh.' They were very excited. This is what they hoped the original Storm should be." Oh, I'm very sure it was.

We'd hear from a Best Buy and Verizon leak it was coming soon, so no surprise, really.

What I find interesting, and telling about RIM's mindset is how much the brass emphasizes that they save carriers money and let them make a bigger profit. If you wanna win the consumer war, that's totally not the point, guys. [NYT]

• RIM BlackBerry Curve 2, before Black Friday
• RIM BlackBerry Storm 2, before Black Friday
• HTC Imagio, on October 20
• Samsung Saga 2, early November
• Samsung Omnia 2, early November
• Pantech TXT8030 Razzle, early October
• Casio C731 Rock, mid-November
• Casio C741 Brigade, late October
• Motorola V860 Barrage, "soon" (it's already available online in Verizon)
• LG VX8575 Chocolate Touch, first or second week of November

On the Android front:
• HTC Desire, which will be available before Black Friday. Note: This may be the Verizon Android phone sighted today, though Boy Genius says that might be called the Hero.

• Motorola Tao or Droid (possibly the phone currently codenamed Sholes?) will also be available before Black Friday.

You can check out the raw material in the leaked documents below, but here is the most interesting stuff to me:

• The Sam's Club document includes the Verizon Motorola Sholes (also been rumored to be called the Droid or Tao). From the tiny picture, the Android phone seems to have a front-facing camera. We already know a good deal of the rest of the specs. Say it is so: Verizon is finally going to get some 'droid!
• The Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 is finally on its way to Sam's Club, Target and Best Buy. It will be joined BlackBerry Curve 2 or LG Chocolate Touch.
• Don't forget yesterday's Best Buy leaks: the Nokia Booklet 3G netbook is listed and launching on October 25 with the option of AT&T activation. The retailer will also have the Palm Pixi and plans to have "new BlackBerry devices across multiple carriers."

That could be all the exciting holiday phone news we see and not to mention lots of them will be able to run full Flash! Not a bad way to start off the week. [Boy Genius Report]

It shouldn't be too long after that we start seeing the all-touchscreen phone with its improved SurePress hit the shelves. They have also been told that it will retail for $599 with no service contract. [Boy Genius Report]

At this stage, it's looking like the BlackBerry Storm 2 will be coming to Verizon (CDMA) and AT&T (GSM). Given that Verizon has dropped the price of the Storm 1 to $50 (with 2 year contract), the wait for the second-gen Storm can't be too much longer. Update: According to one claimed leak, it could hit shops on October 14. [Crackberry]

If you aren't interested in what RIM did to improve its SurePress typing system on the Storm 2 or having Wi-Fi on your handset, you might as well pick up the $50 smartphone. And if you do Verizon's buy one BlackBerry, get the second free promo is still going on. [Verizon via Phone Arena]

Now, the clicky thing is still there, of course, but thanks to that aforementioned piezo electronic screen there's no lag between presses, and texting or emails—staples of any BlackBerry addict's repertoire—are a breeze. In fact, the clicking happens all over the screen as the tech contained within divides it up into several "buttons" at once.

The demo phone is also a Verizon one, by the way, so when wifi pops up early on in the video, it lends further credence to our earlier reporting about the carrier unblocking that functionality when the phone hits in September. [YouTube via Engadget]

There aren't any big changes on the software side (it's still running BlackBerry OS 5.1), although remember, this is a very early pre-release model. The OS looks pretty much exactly the same as the original Storm, at least at this point. That means it's still laggy (especially the accelerometer), a dealbreaker of a problem on the first Storm that hopefully will get ironed out before the Storm 2's release. Verizon has promised WiFi in its future smartphones, so with any luck that'll include the Storm 2.

In terms of hardware, the four classic BlackBerry buttons (call, end, back, and menu) are no longer separate buttons but part of the clickable screen's display. The screen itself has a lot less give to it than the original Storm, which the guy demonstrating it seems to appreciate, saying it's a much better typing experience (though probably not as good as a physical keyboard). The handset is slightly thinner and features darker metal, seeming classier overall.

What are we really hoping for in the new Storm? No more lagginess, a real browser based on WebKit, and a better app store would be a huge help in making the Storm 2 a step up. That stuff is all software stuff, so we'll hold off making any base judgments about the Storm 2 just yet. But we're keeping our fingers crossed that RIM has been listening to its customers. [CrackBerry]

The info also indicates the Storm 2 is officially the BlackBerry 9550, complete with this:

- CDMA 1xRTT/EVDO Rev. A
- Quad-band GSM/EDGE
- Single-band UMTS/HSDPA (2100MHz only)
- Wi-Fi b,g
- 3.2 megapixel camera
- 360×480 resolution capacitive screen
- OS 5.0

We had originally thought the Storm 2—er 9550—was going to arrive in June at Verizon, maybe, but that obviously didn't happen. Shall we try "sometime in July" on for size? [BGR]

Instead, it'll work "more like traditional capacitive touch screen panels," maybe with haptic feedback. Given Palm and Microsoft's push toward multitouch, maybe RIM's not afraid of Apple anymore and we'll see some actual multitouch instead, not just the handful of gestures the Storm's got now.

Update: Oh, and some extras from the roundup of rumors: The Pearl Flip's coming real soon, and Verizon may allow future BlackBerry smartphones (starting with the Tour) to use Wi-Fi, thus satisfying its suddenly very confused customers. "Wait," they'll say. "I'm allowed to like my service AND my phone? I thought it was one or the other!" [BGR]

But we're still mostly in the dark about the Storm 2; we're not sure what improvements RIM's made to the input method or what changes are happening under the hood. But ogle away at these pics, for we should all be grateful at the absence of that damned blurrycam and its inferior photography. [Engadget]

It looks thinner than the original Storm, and has a 3.2-megapixel cam on the back. It doesn't seem like there's any other info. More pics if you head over. [CrackBerry]

His ever-so-slightly defensive tone is of course justified by the tepid reaction that RIM's first touchscreen handset garnered from reviewers and users. However, regarding how the next Storm might address these weaknesses, he has virtually nothing to say: nothing about this alleged "new input method" (slide-out keyboard?); nothing about adding Wi-Fi; nothing about re-engineering that clumsy clickscreen; nothing at all about anything, really.

All we've got is a confirmation of rumors that there will be some kind of new touchscreen hardware, which we'll probably eventually be able get excited about. Just not yet. [Reuters via Reg Hardware]