After months of rumors and leaked glimpses, Research In Motion (RIM) officially announced that their new BlackBerry® Storm™ mobile communication device, their first offering without a physical keyboard, will be available exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. and to Vodafone customers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand sometime in November.  RIM’s press release provided no specifics about the exact release date(s), saying only: “Additional details related to availability and pricing will be announced in the coming weeks.”

According to RIM, the Storm features “the world’s first tactile touch display that responds like a keyboard and combines multi-touch and gesture support for intuitive selection and application navigation”, referring to the device’s haptic feedback interface.

The Storm is designed to operate on a wide variety of communication network types. In the U.S., the Storm can utilize Verizon’s EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA – technology – and HSPA/UMTS as well as quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use.  The Vodafone version supports HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.  This flexibility means that the Storm is truly a phone that can be used worldwide, and which will support relatively fast speeds for full HTML Internet browsing.  Both wireless providers will also support text messaging (SMS), picture messaging (MMS), and instant messaging on the Storm.

RIM also says that the Storm’s removable and rechargeable battery will provide about 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 15 days of standby time.

The BlackBerry Storm’s most unique feature is its large (3.26”), 360 x 480 resolution touch screen interface, which according to early user reports, provides a distinct ‘click’ confirmation when depressed, providing a similar experience to using a real keyboard.  This is very different from other virtual touchscreen interfaces, such as the Apple iPhone’s, which provide no physical feedback.  The Storm touchscreen reportedly supports “multi-touches, taps, slides, swipes and other gestures, so customers can easily select, scroll, pan, and zoom for smooth navigation”, according to RIM. The tactile touch screen display gives customers a choice of virtual keyboards, using either RIM’s SureType® layout in portrait and a full QWERTY layout in landscape orientation - and users can switch between the two keyboards, even in the middle of writing a text message or e-mail, just by rotating the device.  Also, unlike the Apple iPhone, the BlackBerry Storm will support “cut and paste” functionality across applications.

Other features of the Storm will include:

• Support for seamless integration with corporate email systems
• Enterprise IT policy and security controls
• The ability to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
• 3.2 megapixel camera, with variable zoom, auto focus, and a flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video; the camera records video in half-VGA resolution (480×320) or at 176×144 for MMS
• 1 GB of memory storage and an 8 GB microSD memory card included in expandable memory card slot
• A media player for displaying pictures and slideshows, playing movies in full screen mode and playing music
• A sensor automatically adjusts to ambient light for ideal screen viewing and an orientation sensor allows customers to use the handset in a portrait or landscape position

Tags: 9500, BlackBerry Storm, RIM, Verizon, Vodafone

According to a source found by the BoyGeniusReport, the Verizon Wireless version of the cutting-edge BlackBerry Storm, RIM’s first device without a physical keyboard, won’t be generally available until “mid-November” in the U.S.  Previously, the reported launch target date was mid-October, but testing and bug fixes are taking longer than expected, according to the source.

Meanwhile, the more conventionally designed BlackBerry Bold will be officially launched on October 2nd, according to BGR, at AT&T stores in the U.S.  AT&T retail outlets “will be allowed to start ordering the BlackBerry Bold on September 24th”, with an anticipated customer availability date of October 2nd.  The Bold includes significant performance improvements over previous BlackBerry models, including a more powerful 624MHz processor, high-speed 3G networking, higher resolution screen, and advanced application support.

Tags: AT&T, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm, release date, Verizon

The tech blog Engadget showed the packaging for the new touchscreen-operated BlackBerry 9530 - RIM’s first device with no physical keyboard.  Now called the Storm in the U.S. market, the phone will be released on Verizon Wireless later this year.  The 9530 will operate globally with a removable SIM card.  It will also include an 8GB SanDisk microSD card, stereo headset, travel charger and USB cable.

It appears that the device may be marketed as the Thunder in Canada through Rogers and in Europe through Vodafone.  Pricing or final release date are not yet finalized, although prior rumors has the phone pegged for a mid-October launch in the U.S.

Tags: 9530, Blackberry, RIM, Rogers, Storm, Thunder, Verizon, Vodafone

In separate surveys conducted by PC Magazine (previewed in our interview with PC Mag’s Sascha Segan) and by J.D. Power, customer satisfaction for mobile phone services is highest for Verizon Wireless, topping all others in overall rankings.

There’s practically no difference between the top-ranked companies, however, with Verizon coming in with a score of 103, Alltel with 102, and T-Mobile at 100 in J.D. Power’s survey.

Both PC Magazine and J.D. Power list Sprint Nextel well below the industry average.  J.D. Power found that Sprint’s score was a lowly 72, while PC Magazine listed Sprint dead last among all wireless service providers.

More than 11,000 participants were included in the J.D. Power survey.  PC Magazine based their results on surveys of more than 19,000 readers.

J.D. Power also found that customers spent an average of 4.4 minutes on hold with customer service, a jump of 34% from the previous survey, while 49% of all wireless customers said they called in for help at least once, about the same rate reported last year. J.D. Power attributes this to the “increasingly complex” wireless phones and services available today.

Tags: customer satisfaction, J.D. Power, PC Magazine, Sprint Nextel, Verizon

RIM’s new BlackBerry mobile communications device, code named Thunder, is now slated for an October 13th release on Verizon in the U.S., and it will be called the BlackBerry 9530, according to the BoyGenius blog.

The Thunder device is unusual in that it will be the first BlackBerry with no physical keyboard.  Users will enter data with an on-screen virtual keyboard with haptic feedback.

Neither RIM or Verizon have confirmed this rumor, or provided any other information.

Tags: BlackBerry 9530, haptic feedback, Thunder, Verizon