It's probably some sort of blogger faux pas to re-use the same image three times in one week, but seriously, the "Storm 2" info just doesn't want to stop!
Via the Dutch site Tweakers, comes official word via Alain Segond von Banchet, a Channel Sales Manager for RIM, that RIM's next touchscreen (we'll call it Storm 2 for now but that's not the official name as of yet) could/should launch in late 2009 / early 2010 and will "offer among other things a new manner to input text".
I like the phrase among other things.... which hopefully means WiFi and a 5 megapixel camera as was rumored yesterday. While we're making the wishlist, how about throwing in a Sharp LCD and Harmon Kardon speakers. :-)
From the sounds of it, this device won't be a Vodafone/Verizon exclusive either, as Segond von Banchet (what a wicked name) said it'll be coming to KPN.
Ohhh boy... I can see the excitement already... does this mean we should start planning the What Would You do for a BlackBerry Storm 2 Contest?!
Reader comments
More Storm 2 Info - Officially Confirmed?!!
This Storm 2 is announced and then Tmob pipes up about a special event coming up. Tmob Storm anyone?
Thinking about getting the Blackberry Storm. Would like some input from others who already have it.
IM Niche Formula
Sometimes i dont like to invest into new technology just because the technology change is very fast nowdays. today you buy storm for sure press and now they start to talk about true press and its going out soon. WTF. The storm 1 users are the lab rats for RIM. If the storm 2 out soon this year. This is my last device from RIM.
I wanted this phone, but it didn't have Wi-Fi and was on VZW.
I hope this makes it to AT&T.
I love my Storm don't get me wrong, but if the Storm II is remotely similar I will be changing models. I've been floating in limbo on devices hoping Apple and Verizon would be able to reach some sort of agreement. I will probably get the 9630 or 8930 and wait another year for the nations most reliable carrier to get the worlds most popular phone........
A "finger nail" friendly touch screen would rock!
How would you design a "finger nail" friendly touch screen? It's gonna be flat no matter what.
There are PDAs that utilize a stylus which would be pretty much the same as using a finger nail
Honestly I waited forever for the Storm to come out. I was working at Circuit City and they kiosk in their convinced me to get it. I read reviews in the Wall Street Journal to compare it to the Iphone and Google phone and it just blew it out of the water. There is NO reason that they should be coming out with a new phone when they haven't released any official updates. Still though I will not get rid of my Storm and will still wait for a new OS to come out.
I was looking to get the new one that is supposed to be coming out in May this year because I love the full keyboard but now may have to wait if this is true to see what it offers. I wish they'd just let it go for designs for at least a year or two. It's breaking my piggy bank to keep buying new phones at full retail!
if they release a new storm without some kind of trade in program and still no official OS for this one, im dropping Verizon and going get Iphone. screw them. I will try to turn everyone i can away from Verizon.
While I do feel your pain, I'm not too sure it's VZW that you have to blame. They may offer a trade up, you never know.
Am I the only one that is pissed about the news of another iteration of the Storm coming out. I mean I love my device and would not trade it in for the world and right when I become comfortable with all the goodness and the quirks that this phone has I read this garbage. I feel so used and walked over. Not only did we have to get use to a buggy OS we have to now buy a new device. Way to treat your custmers!!! Did I mention that this is my first Blackberry.
hope it comes with the iPhone OS 3.0.../*hides under a troll bridge*
How about perfecting the first one, or atleast releasing
an official firmware upgrade (verizon) before plans on a new storm.
If RIM comes out with a BB that has a slide-out keyboard, that would just be dumb. Come on. Everybody here compares their Storms to the iPhone. Well, the iPhone doesn't have a slide out keyboard! If you want one, go get a Voyager or Envy. Slide out keyboards are over-rated and the Storm is already bulky enough. That would completely ruin the Storm for me. I don't want to compare the Storm to the Voyager. Hell no. With storm II, create a new OS that can handle the hardware. For people who don't want a virtual keyboard, go back to what you were using before. No one asked you to trade your phone in and get a touchscreen without a bulky dumb-ass keyboard.
Who made you the person to decide what RIM should do with the second version of the storm? Some people like me would like a slider that is also a blackberry. If you don't like it you wouldn't have to get one but why ruin it for everybody that wants one?
Nobody put me in charge but think about it; most everybody got the storm because of everything being TOUCHSCREEN. If they add a slide out keyboard, that won't keep them in the game and it will put them lower, it's already been done. I'm just saying, IMO, it would not be a smart move.
I say go for the slider. That would literally create a BB for everyone. You have the OG Pearl,Pearl Flip,various QWERTY models, the Storm and then you would have the slider. They would be hitting every nich.
How is that a bad thing???...because "it's been done before." ???
The std BB design has been done to death over the years (as well as the others) by RIM,HTC,Samsung,Motorolla plus numerous other companies around the world we don't see too much of here in the US. The reason they're all still around is because everyone likes soemthing a little different and they sell.
Also if you look at smart phones exclusively they have pretty much got the slider configuration down. Granted there where plenty of screens that slid right off the phone over the years and the dumb phone qwerty sliders leave quite a bit to be desired from what I've seen (they just don't feel as sturdy to me)
On another note the idea of the smartphone has definitely moved from a device to answer emails and fill in for not having a laptop handy to becoming the new laptop. Obvioulsy it hasn't happened yet but it's on the way and the slider design gives you the closest physical experience to having a laptop as far as size of the screen and keyboard.
I hope they get the bugs worked out.The Storm 1 came with much fanfare, but delivered a bunch of fizzle. I started with the Curve, and really enjoyed it compared to Palm devices. Now, that I have The Storm I can take or leave it. The Storm is slow and glitchy. It comes with a few problems in it's wake. They need to deliver an update and I mean soon.
As for the Storm 2, it needs a new name. The Ipse Dixit would be a better name. They could try The Tracker, or maybe The Firestorm. The best name would be The Tsunami.
How about FLASH.......
Just a thought but from the 2 quotes above...
"(we'll call it Storm 2 for now but that's not the official name as of yet)"
&
"will offer among other things a new manner to input text."
Sounds like we could be looking at something ther than a Storm/95xx model phone.
If that's the case, does that let RIM and VZW off the hook for giving advanced and/or discounted upgrades to Storm owners?
Anyway...Not doubting the validity of the the article or the forth coming BB and I could be way off but it was just a thought. If I'm dead wrong please point me to where the proof is. I'm not pre doubting anyone here, just want to remain educated on the subject if I missed something somewhere.
Thanks,
mkurz12
I am going to be one unhappy camper if I have to pay full price for this phone when it comes out. We should be able to get it at contract price without having to resign the contract.
I already have one planned out for the next "what would you do..." Contest!
Kevin, It is better to start planning now.:)
-ZALESI07@AOL.COM
I'm not sure if it will perform any better the #1 does on this Vista style software.
I hope the give us a credit for buying the original storm
Yes we should start that contest! I am dying for a storm but I have tmobile and as we all know only verizon has it! Let other people get a chance!!!
If the Storm II is already coming out, Verizon had better do some sort of trade up program from original storm to storm II. I cannot describe how much I want wi-fi. It would only be fair for them to do this for their loyal blackberry customers. I don't want to have to wait for my 2 year contract to expire.
Damn it this sucks, why not just FIX THE FIRST ONE!!! Now I have a 199.99 paperweight.
For Nolanberry...
and to the iPhone to VZW comment, Verizon was offered the iphone first but declined due to apple wanting it's hands in on everything and NOT providing a removable battery. Also AT&T has a MUCH higher CHURN than Verizon Wireless does, so they are actually leaving ATT. :)
how about a "What would you do with your old BB Storm" contest?
coz i have a couple ideas for that....
So we can probably just give up hope on any improvements for Storm 1 then I guess? Great. I couldn't agree more, BlackHulkster, why not give a few improvements first, since Storm 1 has been out less than a year?
I was waiting for the official OS release, but I might have to install the leaked versions now, since a good bet is that Verizon will NEVER release the official OS with Storm 2 coming out in five months.
I bet the guy in the picture holding the phone is very happy to see his thumb is popular. Thats like the third time this week that this picture has been in the headlines.
How about instead of a "what would you do for a storm 2" contest, you have a "what would you do for a functioning storm 1" contest.
Id rather not be hearing news that there will be a "Storm 2" later this year. I have been taking a beating from my friends with IPhones and G1's. And my only ammunition was that the Storm would get better in due time. I guess I was right....instead of making a better OS they jus said "F-it" lets make a new phone.
Ah, am I the only one who likes my Storm? Why is everybody in such a hurry to make it obsolete!?!
You aren't the only one. I like it a lot too. I think it is way better than the iPhone. I just don't understand why people are bashing the Storm so much. Always complaining how an OS update doesn't come out every other day. Whatever, the Storm is a very good Blackberry and I'm very happy with it. I will admit though, wifi would be very nice.
I never had any problems with my storm. I also brag so much about it that a few of my friends got it and they love it.
No, you're not the only one. It's just that in most cases people are more motivated to complain repeatedly than to weigh in with praise. That's just human nature.
I think you're right - we see so much Storm bashing on here, and the Storm-lovers are too quiet! I remarked on something similar in this thread:
http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/little-land-called-every-storm-owners-d...
Pretty much same here, although I made an earlier comment that might seem hypocritical to this one, I really do love my Storm, I'm just kind of upset that there are SOME bugs (I don't have very many cept for the resetting issue...) but other than that, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I'm new to all of this, I think their anti-BB Spirit is corrupting me.
Plasma and LCD are both outdated. OLED is what it needs.
Come on surepress with slide out keyboard and trackball!
My last smartphone was a landscape slide out keyboard and I could type super fast. Never got a Blackberry before because the portrait keyboards are just way too small and cramped for me.
The Storm's virtual keyboard drives me nuts trying to type longer emails (just too slow and too easy to make mistakes), so I'm really hoping for a slider version on Storm 2 (and keeping the SureType portrait virtual keyboard option for short emails)
Fix Storm 1 first...get it right Verizon. You lost thousands of customers to ATT for a reason! Just hop on the iPhone bandwagon already...or else you'll keep losing more!
I completely agree! If RIM screws its customers over I will never own a Blackberry again (iPhone here I come). And if other Storm owners are not furious then screw them as well.
Nope, I'm with you.
I'm reeeeeeally tired of the bugs, I'm kind of upset that I didn't get AT&T for graduation now.
*sigh* Contract ends in 2 years from now.. hurray......
Pioneer makes plasmas.
my bad. I **knew** that... getting slow in my old age apparently.
Any rumors yet as to what networks it will work with? I really want a touchscreen i can use on t-mo's GSM and still retain full abilities...
perhaps the 'new way to input text' might be related to the rumors that there could be a slide out keyboard blackberry...
I wish the current Storm had that in the first place. Otherwise, I would have gotten one and skipped waiting on the 9630.