The latest rumours have pointed to an October 14 release date (i.e. tomorrow) of the Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2, and between dummy units, BOGO flyers, and accessories arriving in stock, it’s seeming very likely. Across the pond, Vodafone will likely be launching the device around the same timeframe, and lately we’re hearing specifics about pricing (£35/month on two-year contract). If we start seeing the same kind of promotional materials show up at Vodafone, it’s safe to say the Storm 2 (or Odin, if you’re feeling nostalgic) will at least be announced before the end of the week. Best Buy might not get the BlackBerry 9550 until the 25th., which could indicate a later date for when we see the device proper on store shelves.
If you haven’t had a chance to get a close look at the Storm 2, it’s RIM’s second touchscreen smartphone, rocking Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 360 x 480 capacitive display, 3G (EV-DO or HSPA, as the case may be), and OS 5.0. The SurePress clicking touchscreen has apparently been overhauled since the original Storm and renamed TruePress. Based on a few teardowns, folks think that the Storm 2 has four piezoelectric pads beneath the surface that can lock the clicking mechanism. So far, we’ve only seen that happen when the phone is turned off, but we’ll have to wait to see if a retail unit uses the technology in any other ways.
In any case, it’s an exciting time – does anyone think that they’ll give this bad boy a shot, or did the first iteration turn you off of SurePress for good?
[via Engadget, CB, BlackBerry Rocks, TechRadar, pic]