BlackBerry Storm 2 Hands-On: No More Clicky Screen

Image courtesy engadget

Image courtesy engadget

Our friends at Engadget have snagged the BlackBerry prize with a brief hands-on session with the upcoming Storm 2. The Storm 2 is the successor to the popular, if controversial, BlackBerry Storm that has sold big numbers but tended to attract a fair number of detractors. One of the innovations of the Storm that folks either love or hate is the SurePress technology integrated into the touchscreen. Engadget is reporting that the Storm 2, while still touchscreen, drops the SurePress clicky screen in favor of a more conventional touch experience.

I may be in the minority, but I am sad to hear the SurePress screen has been dropped. The onscreen typing experience is enhanced for me with the feel of the actual click the screen makes on the Storm. I never doubt whether a key has been duly pressed, something I do routinely on all other touchscreen phones without SurePress. I guess RIM bowed to the pressure to be more like the competition. There have been rumors that the Storm 2 would have haptic feedback due to the loss of SurePress, but Engadget says they haven’t found it if so.

Engadget is also reporting that the four buttons on the front of the Storm have been removed in place of four soft keys on the Storm 2. This move apparently makes the Storm 2 a bit shorter than the Storm from the photos they have posted of the new model. I will be pressuring Verizon and RIM to get a Storm 2 in my hands so I can give you a detailed comparison of the two models.

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