$180 BlackBerry Storm2 hits the shelves on Wednesday

The BlackBerry Storm2 is slated to go on sale at Verizon Wireless stores and online Wednesday for $180 after a rebate and with a new two year voice and data plan, Verizon and Research in Motion Ltd. announced today.

The companies confirmed that the new model includes new SurePress "clickable" display technology and built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. Some early reviewers lauded the upgrades, noting the touchscreen problems with the original Storm device.

One reviewer, Walter Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal , said he found "typing was much improved" with Storm2, though he added, "I doubt it will satisfy lover of physical keyboards."

In fact, customers buying the BlackBerry Tour at a Verizon store last July also reported concerns with the original Storm's touchscreen and were converting to a physical keyboard a result.

The Storm2 has a 3.25 inch display, with 3G connectivity that will allow phone calls in more than 220 countries, and data access in more than 185 countries, the carrier said in a statement.

The device includes 2Gbyte onboard storage and a microSD/SDHD memory card slot with a 16GB card included. The Storm2 also runs BlackBerry OS 5.0, which the companies said will provide typing accuracy improvements and more uses of animation.

There is a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and video recording ability. A removeable, rechargeable battery is designed for 5.5 hours of talk time and 11.2 days of standby time.

Computerworld

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