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RIM's BlackBerry Storm Gains Strength

An internal Verizon Wireless email was leaked on the Internet today that details the upcoming BlackBerry Storm's "talking points." Among the device's specs are a 3.2 megapixel camera, a touch screen user interface and world-wide roaming capabilities. Could RIM and Verizon have a home run on their hands?

I think it is very smart of Verizon to offer the Storm -- the long-rumored touch screen phone from Research In Motion -- as a "world edition" phone, which means it can be used in the U.S. and in countries abroad. Verizon's CDMA technology may offer a robust 3G network here in the U.S, but it isn't available overseas. By adding a quad-band GSM/EDGE data radio to the Storm, it will be able to roam in Europe and Asia, which is a must for some business travelers.

What's really funny is that the documents acknowledge the buzz in the blogosphere. It reads, "Rumors, whispers, secrets: bloggers love to speculate and we've got them all buzzing about us. There's a big reason for the buzz. We're launching a groundbreaking device that's unlike anything seen in the market today and it is exclusive in the U.S. to Verizon Wireless. The BlackBerry Storm is the game changer that will have everyone interested."

The email confirms that the device does indeed have an "innovative click touch screen" for user input. It has the highest resolution screen ever on a BlackBerry. It has a 3.2 megapixel camera. It has a full HTML browser. It has Visual Voicemail. And it has "rich multimedia experience."

The email comes from corporate Verizon Wireless and appears to be aimed at retail store managers. It gives the managers and store staff some ammunition to fire at customers who come in asking about the device. What it doesn't say, is when the device will be available. Speculation is rampant on that one, with rumors suggesting that the date may be "late September."

At this point, however, there is no official word from RIM or Verizon Wireless on when the Storm will see the light of day.

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