RIM CEO: "Next-generation" BlackBerry Storm on the way

RIM chief executive Jim Balsillie has confirmed what many had suspected: that a new and improved version of the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm is in development. No word on features or a launch date, though.

Reuters (via Phonescoop) reports that Balsillie made the announcement during a recent briefing with analysts and investors, although he was light on details on exactly when a new Storm might appear in stores.

During the briefing, Balsillie called the Storm—which debuted last fall to middling reviews (click here for my own hands-on report)—a "huge success in terms of sales and adoption," adding that "we have next-generation devices with that and the whole roadmap," according to Reuters.

The first rumors of a "Storm 2" emerged last month, with bloggers predicting that an updated Storm could arrive on Verizon Wireless in September complete with Wi-Fi (a feature that was conspicuously absent on the first Storm) and "new touch screen tech" that "improves the screen enormously."

The original Storm, which RIM and Verizon positioned as a direct competitor to the touchscreen iPhone, drew criticism for its sluggish performance (RIM has deployed a number of software patches to fix the problem, with mixed results), lack of Wi-Fi, and the clickable, spring-loaded touchscreen, which struck many reviewers as feeling "sticky" when trying to type on the virtual QWERTY keypad.

Still, the Storm has sold well despite the criticisms, and as I blogged on Monday, it's currently the third most-popular smartphone in the U.S., just behind the top-selling BlackBerry Curve and the iPhone 3G.

So, would you be interested in a new, Wi-Fi-enabled Storm? What about the touchscreen—want RIM to take another stab at it, or are you happy with the current "ClickThrough" version?

Related:
RIM plans next-gen Storm as it eyes untapped market [Reuters, via Phonescoop]