BlackBerry Storm 2 Will Have Wi-Fi

One of the major sticking points for the first and only touch-screen BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Storm, was its lack of Wi-Fi.

But BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is looking to make that right with the release of the BlackBerry Storm 2.

Citing unnamed inside sources, Slash Gear reported that Verizon Wireless has green-lighted the BlackBerry Storm 2 for September of this year. The Storm 2, the second-generation of the BlackBerry Storm, is expected to include Wi-Fi connectivity to complement the 3G it already offers, sources told Slash Gear.

While Slash Gear did not divulge its sources, it said it has no doubts that the Wi-Fi rumor is legit.

"The source gave us their assurances that the Storm 2 would have Wi-Fi, and would be an even better pro-sumer device than the first Storm," Slash Gear wrote.

The report added that Wi-Fi isn't the only new addition the Storm will see in its second-generation makeover, but additional details weren't available.

RIM and Verizon debuted the BlackBerry Storm last November, marking RIM's official attempt to unseat the Apple iPhone 3G in the clash of the touch-screen titans.

The release of RIM's first touch-screen smartphone generated a host of comparisons between the Storm and the iPhone 3G, many of which called the iPhone the superior device.

The Storm also encountered a host of speed bumps along the way, with users critical of the touch-screen interface, no Wi-Fi and its lack of a physical QWERTY keyboard, which BlackBerry users have grown accustomed to.

Earlier this year, several news organizations called the Storm a flop, saying it got off to a bumpy start with poor sales. Verizon, the Storm's exclusive carrier, quickly went on the offensive, saying that 1 million Storms had been sold in the smartphone's first two months on the market.