Blackberry Storm 2 to Drop This Week?

Remember the Blackberry Storm? About a year ago, the exciting new touchscreen release was preparing to go head-to-head with the iPhone. Fast forward to the present, and the iPhone remains at the top of its game, while the Storm has disappeared from the spotlight due to a variety of complaints with its operation and interface. Storm 2 rumors have been circulating for months, and yesterday, the New York Times surprised the tech world by stating that the phone will be released this week. The article focused more on Blackberry manufacturer R.I.M, and new details on the Storm 2 were scarce, but the Times did include this statement: “Among its many improvements, the new phone gives the user the sensation of pushing a physical button when pressing a number on the glass touch screen.” This is odd, given that that very feature was one of the selling points of the original Storm.

The Storm 2 will be carried by Verizon, like the original. According to the article, Verizon Wireless chief Lowell C. McAdam has been using it for several weeks and has gotten positive feedback. He was quoted as stating: ““I let them [NYU students] play with the second-generation Storm device. They came back and said ‘Oh, my gosh.’ They were very excited. This is what they hoped the original Storm should be.” Other improvements like the addition of Wi Fi are expected on the Storm 2. Today was a rumored launch date, so we’ll see what R.I.M and Verizon have to say on the matter. [via NY Times] [Photo: Engadget]