Although the weather outside is looking mild, Blackberry, Verizon, and Engadget have a huge Storm rolling in. Here’s a glimpse at the newest Blackberry - just in time to enjoy the hype before it actually gets to market here in the U.S.
Story #1 - Blackberry Apps!

Crackberry brings us this week some great news if you’re at all interested in the functionality of the Blackberry Storm. The Blackberry App Center is aimed to launch on the BlackBerry Storm’s version 4.7 operating system. This App system will allow the user to find, browse and install/upgrade 3rd party BlackBerry apps hosted by carriers. Here are some of the Blackberry App Center’s shining features:

So how is this different from Apple’s App Store? RIM’s App Center seems to be meant more as a supplement than as a one-stop-shop option, like Apple’s App Store. Also, don’t expect to see thousands of Apps, like with Apple. Since this is a supplementary option, growth will most likely be slower.

Story #2 - More Screen Shots!

Okay, okay… not quite as exciting as story #1, but exciting nonetheless. Check the link for more pics of this little gadget, and we hope you’ll be as please as we were.

Ahhh… fall’s a time for back-to-school, football, cool weather, and… new Blackberrys? You bet! Blackberry is set to debut several new handsets this fall, with a variety of features and, surprisingly enough, shapes, so get ready! Regardless of your taste, there’s sure to be a new Berry that’ll suit your needs coming out soon.As if Blackberry hasn’t made enough variations on its tried and true 8300 Curve, one more is coming to Sprint, as an addition to its iDEN line. The Blackberry Curve 8350i is a yellow-accented-black Curve offering Direct Connect service, Wifi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, a 2mp camera, and plenty of office-friendly apps to make this a great corporate / construction phone. Another addition - PTT for an up-to-20-person convo.A Blackberry Flip? It can’t be true… Oh but it is, my friend. In a twist on the 8100 Pearl series, Blackberry is bringing the Pearl Flip 8220 to T-Mobile. An exceedingly lightweight cell at just 3.6 ounces, the 8220 also brings Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, and tons of battery life.It’s rumored that the Blackberry Bold will hit AT&T on October 2nd, and with all the hype it’s been getting, it better be. We’ve been waiting for this sleek, professional beauty since it made things official in mid-May, and anyone who held out through iPhone-mania for the Bold is ready.With a PTT Blackberry and a Blackberry Flip, it’s obvious Blackberry is exploring new horizons, and what better horizon to explore than the oh-so-popular touchscreen market the iPhone has inspired? While the Storm (previously known as the Thunder) is reportedly still working out some bugs, I think the full touchscreen looks pretty sweet, and I have faith in Blackberry’s faith to its name that the glitches will be worked out in no time.

As we eagerly await the release of the new iPhone and a slew of other smartphones, I’m faced with a decision - should I hop on the nearly-button-free, touchscreen bandwagon or do I want a QWERTY keyboard for easy texting and emailing?

Touchscreen Options

While Apple’s latest addition to the touch-screen movement is probably the most buzzed about, many cell phone manufacturers have touchscreen phones on the way for this summer. Blackberry’s Thunder is a much anticipated product, as it ventures away from the typical Blackberry form, but keeps some of the essentials, such as quick-touch buttons for sending and ending calls, browsing the menu, instant camera access, and other often used applications. It has, however, lost the tactile keyboard, leaving the user with only the visual one typical of  touchscreen phones. Also in this category are the LG Dare, Samsung Instinct, and HTC Diamond.

Tactile QWERTY Keyboard Options

The new HP iPAQ 910 has just been released, and packs a punch with its Windows 6.1 Mobile OS and sleek Blackberry-esque look. Another option with a full keyboard is the brand new Blackberry Bold, the first Blackberry with HSDPA networking. LG also has several QWERTY handsets for the mobile messager - the enV2 offers a full keyboard, and some great extras such as a 2MP camera, but leaves much to be desired with its subpar appearance. But for a consumer strongly concerned with ease of texting and emailing, a QWERTY keyboard could be the most important feature.

My Verdict

As far as my bottom line goes, I think my requirements are GPS, a full web browser, a high quality camera and reliable service. As a novice mobile messager, I think I can sacrifice the tactile QWERTY keyboard, but only because I don’t think I’ll be using a keyboard (in any form) much from my smartphone. So right now my frontrunner is the Bold, with its sleek touch screen and easy-access buttons, but I am confident I am not the only one facing this dilemma. As the products are released, and the race unfolds, we’ll see what a smartphone will need to take the lead.