Rumours point to new BlackBerry Storm

Update to RIM's touch-screen smartphone coming this summer?.

Details are starting to emerge of a new BlackBerry Storm smartphone that could be released as early as this summer, according to reports.

Images of a device referred to as the BlackBerry Storm 2 have started circulating on various news sites, showing a handset that appears very similar to the original Storm with perhaps a few cosmetic differences.

The BlackBerry Storm created a stir when it was unveiled last October as the first device from Research In Motion (RIM) to feature touch-screen input akin to Apple's iPhone.

However, the BlackBerry Storm 2 is said to include Wi-Fi, a feature missing from the original, and an update to its clickable touch-sensitive display that came in for criticism from some users.

The new BlackBerry is said to be due for release in the summer, according to some sources, while others point to a later launch in September.

vnunet.com contacted RIM for further information, but the company declined to confirm or deny any details relating to the BlackBerry Storm 2.

The latest rumours follow earlier reports that RIM was planning a clutch of new handsets codenamed Onyx, Magnum and Driftwood.