UPCOMING BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONES

RIM has already released a handful of great mobile phones this year such as the BlackBerry Tour and BlackBerry Curve 8520. Those handsets will surely make an impact on the smartphone market. However, RI(M is far from done. Stiff competition from HTC, Nokia, and Palm ensures that RIM will continue to release new handsets this year. Here's a quick look at the upcoming BlackBerry smartphones.

BlackBerry Storm 2: This handset is expected to by released this year by Verizon Wireless. The BlackBerry Storm 2 features WiFi, GPS and a new text entry technology called TruePress. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera, 3G support, GPS, full HTML browser, Bluetooth and a microSD/microSDHC card slot.

BlackBerry 9700: This upcoming smartphone is also called the BlackBerry Onyx. Rumors indicate that this device is bound for AT&T and T-Mobile. The BlackBerry 9700 features a 480×360 resolution display, a 3.2 megapixel AF camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, OS 5.0 and a QWERTY keyboard.

BlackBerry 8530: This handset is rumored to be headed for Verizon Wireless. The BlackBerry 8530 is expected to offer a Wi-Fi, 320×240 resolution screen, 1xRTT, EV-DO, 2 megapixel camera, OS 5.0, Bluetooth and QWERTY keyboard.

BlackBerry Driftwood: This device is a variant of the BlackBerry 9700/Onyx and is rumored to be heading for T-Mobile in September. The BlackBerry Driftwood is expected to offer AWS 1700MHz and 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA radios. Other features include 480×360 screen, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, QWERTY keyboard, Carbon fiber-esque back battery cover, and an optical trackpad.