Hands on with the BlackBerry Storm 2

The BlackBerry Storm 2 has been announced, and will go on sale through Vodafone in the UK later this month.

On first impressions it’s best described as what the original Storm should have been. The SurePress screen is still clickable but is much improved, enabling you to be able to type at speeds comparable to a physical keyboard. BlackBerry OS 5 has also brought plenty of touch improvements, while increased memory makes it all a lot snappier than before. And, unlike last year’s device, there’s wi-fi as well.

All in all, it looks very promising indeed, a far cry from the shambles that was the first touch screen BlackBerry.

Key features:

New SurePress Technology
The BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone introduces a new SurePress™ technology based on an electronic system that provides the user with tactile feedback when the touch-screen is pressed. The new system responds equally to gentle pressure applied anywhere on the surface of the screen and makes clicking the display practically effortless. Typing on the smartphone’s virtual keyboards is easier, more comfortable and more accurate. The new SurePress technology also allows the user to type a letter with one thumb even while their other thumb may still be touching or resting on another letter, enabling faster typing and multi-key actions such as Shift or Alt -key combinations.

Hardware Features

• Large (3.25”), dazzling, high resolution 360 x 480 display at 184 ppi
• Capacitive touch-screen with integrated functions
• Global connectivity support: UMTS/HSPA (2100Mhz), quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM and Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) networks
• 3.2 MP camera with variable zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording
• 256 MB of Flash memory
• 2 GB of onboard memory storage and a microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 16 GB cards
• Premium and easy-to-access phone features, background noise suppression technology, loud distortion-free speakerphone and face detection (proximity sensor) that prevents accidental clicks and blanks the screen while the user is on the phone
• BlackBerry® Media Sync for easily syncing iTunes® and Windows Media® Player music with the smartphone*
• A 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and dedicated volume controls
• Built-in GPS for maps and other location-based applications, as well as photo geotagging

Hands-on with the Storm 2:

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