After poking around the fine print for Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm scavenger hunt starting tomorrow, it’s been discovered that the approximate retail value of RIM’s first touchscreen device (minus the $50 gift certificate) will be $499. Take from that what you will – mail-in rebates and contract subsidies will knock that price down an undetermined amount. You can expect at least a $50 MIR, with maybe $150 knocked off for the contract, so that would be in the $299 neighbourhood, putting the Storm up there with Verizon’s other top-tier smartphones, the TyTN and Treo 700wx. Just keep in mind that previous rumours were suggesting $199 on a two-year contract, which is a much more agreeable price point. The expected release date for the BlackBerry Storm remains November 16th., the day after Verizon’s contest wraps up, so keep your eyes open for some proper confirmation.
Oh, and someone better tell the Verizon guys to tidy up the fine print… They’re calling the Storm the 9500, which is Vodafone’s GSM model.
[via RIMarkable]