The Storm was designed and manufactured by Research in Motion (RIM) and it technically a part of their 9500 series.  However, the Storm is RIM’s first phone to feature a touch screen input system.  In fact, the Storm doesn’t even include an actual keyboard.  Nearly all input is done via the stylus, although there are several buttons (such as volume control) on the side of the phone.

As a smart phone, the Blackberry Storm does much more than just make and receive phone calls.  It includes the Windows Mobile operating system and a large number of different applications.  You can send and receive emails, surf the web, create a calendar of appointments, read documents and PDF files, and even use the Storm like a MP3 or video player.  The Storm can even be upgraded with new programs and customized with the programs you need.  Of course, the Storm includes all the things that a standard cell phone does, such as a contacts list, ring tones, and a built-in camera.

The camera lets you not only take still images but also records video, too.  This allows users to catch all the action even if they don’t have a camera with them.  Of course, transferring these images and videos to a PC or laptop is very easy to do.

These are just some of the features you’ll find on the Blackberry Storm.  If you’re looking for a smart phone that contains many different options but is not quite as expensive as the iPhone, you might want to visit your local Verizon dealer and take the Storm for a test run.

Kingston manufactures a number of silicon skin cases for the Storm.  These cases come in a variety of colors (black, grey, white, etc.) so you can customize the look of your Storm. While you can buy these cases separate, you can also purchase them in a kit that includes a 4GB micro SDHC memory card and two adapters to turn that memory card into a MiniSD or SD card.

Prima Cases offers a very nice line of quality leather holsters for the Storm if you’re looking for something a little nicer than a skin case.  Their vertical holster for the Storm can be adjusted to hold several different Blackberries, which is nice if you have other devices.  Its magnetic closure keeps the Storm in place, while the padded interior keeps it protected.

Another nice leather case is the black Clevo Case.  This sturdy black leather Storm holder attaches to any belt with a sturdy clip, and it has a great looking exterior.  The inside is, like the Prima Case, nicely padded to keep the Storm nice and safe.

The Blackberry skins case features a clear plastic cover over the touch screen and a sturdy, metal edged case.  This skin is designed to protect your Blackberry even during use, unlike the two cases.  It includes a belt clip and openings for all ports and controls.

Any of these cases will protect your Blackberry, but each one looks different.  This allows you to further customize your Blackberry, creating your own unique look to go with your mobile device.

Reuters reports that hundreds of people were lined up outside of a Verizon store in Manhattan for the launch, and when they sold out of the units, angry Blackberry nerds started getting unruly, so much so that NYPD were called in to quiet the crackberry geeks down:

“More than 200 people had waited at a Verizon store in mid-town Manhattan early in the morning, many of whom were turned away after it ran out of the new phones less than an hour after opening at 8 a.m. The angry customers caused a ruckus and police came to restore order.”

Unruly fans do have the option of ordering the phone from the Verizon website, but they’ll have to wait at least 5-7 days for it, but don’t count on it (like the faithful Google G1 fans who waited weeks when they were told the same thing). Verizon promises that there are enough units to go around, and that a little patience can go a long way:

“Verizon said hundreds of others were in lines outside its stores up and down the U.S. east coast, but added that it had “plenty of phones” and would keep getting more shipments. It declined to give specifics on inventory levels.”

Bottom line – if you want a Blackberry Storm, the safest bet is to probably order one online sooner than later. Yeah, you might find one in smaller towns outside of the city, but I wouldn’t count on it. Blackberry fans are EVERYwhere, and you can bet that with the cheap price ($199) everyone is going to want to grab one up.

(Image partly from ZDNet Blogs)

Now, Verizon’s wireless partner is planning for a subsidy in the BlackBerry Storm for the UK market to increase its prospects and also to initiate a price war in the market. A similar strategy is on the cards for the US launch. But the question is who started all this. Was it not AT&T that drastically reduced the price of Apple iPhone and started selling it for $199? It’s well being anticipated by the industry experts that BlackBerry Storm would be priced lower than the iPhone.

There was anticipation that Verizon would even go to the extent of selling BlackBerry Storm for free in order to tap the smartphone market. The approaching holidays would be targeted for being the ideal time to offer heavy discounts on the BlackBerry Storm so as to hook the iPhone customers. The touchscreen market is also on the watch.

In the event of the BlackBerry Storm being a hit, Verizon as a player in this segment would establish itself on firmer grounds. The ultimate idea would not just be about tapping new customers but also luring the existing lower-paying customers to costlier contracts. As a customer you won’t end up just getting the BlackBerry Storm, but also would have to sign up for BlackBerry calling and e-mail plan which starts at more than $75 a month.

• The touch screen-The Storm is the first phone produced by Research in Motion to feature a touch screen.  This allows the phone to look and function similarly to the iPhone, but the Storm has a lower price.

• The Storm can play MPEG4s, Windows Movie Files, and several other types of audio files.  This means you can leave your MP3 player at home.

• The Storm’s 3.2 megapixel camera records both still images and videos.  The videos can then easily be transferred to your laptop or PC for editing and sharing.

• The Storm includes a built-in GPS and a suite of programs, Blackberry Maps, to assist you in navigating to your location.

• The Storm features quad band architecture and will function normally in over 200 countries.

• The Storm is capable of browsing all HTML webpage’s, allowing users full access to web mail, search engines, and more.  It also has improved JavaScript support, allowing the Storm to more quickly load scripts.  In fact, if you prefer, you can upload your videos straight to sites like YouTube without downloading them to your PC.

• The Storm features BlackBerry OS 4.7, the most recent version of the operating system that was specifically developed to function with a touch screen.  The OS also features built-in Microsoft Word document reading and editing support.  OS 4.7 is friendlier towards third-party applications as well.

• The Storm supports Ev-DO Rev A, quad band global EDGE, and high-speed HSDPA.

• The Storm is the first Blackberry to be fully compatible with Verizon’s V CAST Music for Rhapsody.  This allows you to sync your Storm with your Rhapsody account, transferring your music quickly and effortlessly.

The forum is integrated with the blog for a clean design and look, and instead of having some big fancy graphics intensive forum setup, we decided to keep it as clean and minimalistic as possible to not only make it faster for our users, but also to make sure it’s easily accessible from your Blackberry Storm device itself!

So if you have any tips, tricks, suggestions, feedback, or anything in-between, we would be very greatful if you would stop by the new forums and speak up. Since the Blackberry Storm is brand new, we can all help each other out if we contribute what we know.

Special Notice - Want to make a little extra cash to help pay for your new Blackberry Storm? Are you good at doing quick video reviews? If so, let us know because we would love to pay for reviews about the new Blackberry Storm, and they can be video reviews OR typed ones. Your choice! Again, contact us for more information.

The Storm, unlike the Bold, has been marketed as the Blackberry version of the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1.  Like those phones, the Storm is mostly being aimed at high-end customers who can both afford the phone and love new technological gadgets.  If you’re a smart phone aficionado, then this is the Verizon phone for you.

Looking for the bottom line on the price tag? Well, the Storm will retail for $199, less than the $350 rumored price we’ve heard off and on for the past few months.  Of course, the $199 price is dependent on a two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate.  Take those discounts away, and you’re back to looking at $350 or more.

If you want an early Christmas gift in the form of a Blackberry Storm, don’t hesitate-pre-order yours today or at least get over to a Verizon store early on the 21^st to pick yours up.  There’s no telling how many people will be in line for a Storm of their very own.

Anyway, below you’ll see a list of six Blackberry Storm car chargers made by different companies. I only have the actual Blackberry branded one (to keep everything Blackberry branded), but that’s not to say other brands don’t function just as well. I’ve bought off brand mobile chargers on several occasions, and not once has one failed me (or made my device fail). Generally speaking, if you can find it on Amazon, it’s probably a safe bet (because if it’s not, the gracious Amazon customer reviews will surely let you know!).

Top six Verizon Blackberry Storm Car Chargers

1. Rapid Car Charger + Home Travel Charger – Obviously, this kit is a great buy, because for $6, you get a car charger AND a home charger. Never hurts to have extra of each. Especially if you’re prone to losing home chargers!

2. Three piece combo set (charger + two skins) – This set is pretty cool too, because you can snatch up a car charger and get 2 nice silicone protective skins (one blue and one black) for a mere $17. I always like to get a few different skins for my various phones, as you never know when you’ll need to quick change it (you know, to match your dress, shoes, suit, etc…)

3. DB Premium Blackberry Storm 9530 9500 Car Charger – This is your straight up, standard car charger with no frills and it’s made to get the job done. $7 and it’s on the way to your mailbox.

4. Premium Blackberry Storm Accessory Power Pack – This is a pretty cool kit. It gives you a car charger, wall/home charger, and a usb power cord (because afterall, you can charge your device from any computer that’s USB compatible). Not a bad price either. This is probably one that I will pick up soon because it seems like a good value from a trusted seller.

5. Retractable Auto Rapid Car Charger with Ic Chip for RIM Blackberry 9500 – This little beauty of a charger is retractable, which is VERY nice if you’re one of those types of people that aren’t huge fans of cords laying around everywhere in your vehicle. I took a look at my cord situation the other day in my car, and trust me, it’s not pretty. It looks like a NASA lab.

6. OEM Blackberry Micro USB Car Charger for Verizon Wireless Blackberry Storm 9530 – Last, but certainly not least is the OEM version of the car charger. Meaning, this one has “Blackberry” stamped on it. You can deny the quality and piece of mind of having a name brand product charging your gear. Honestly a suprisingly low price too.

So there you have it. There isn’t much else out there right now, and the chargers you read about above will all get the job done just fine. Honestly, even though I have nothing against third party chargers, I would probably stick with the Blackberry brand if you think about stuff like that (it’s less than $9), but again, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. If you have any other suggestions that you didn’t see here, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks!

• Like most smart phones, the Storm allows you to check your email.  However, you can actually set up several different email accounts for the Storm to check automatically, allowing you to quickly scan personal, work, and other emails.

• The Storm’s browser allows you to view websites and bookmark favorites.

• The calendar application lists dates, lets you schedule meetings, and make to-do lists.

• The media application allows you to play songs, browse your ring tones, view images, and play videos.  The Storm easily connects to any laptop or PC and includes software to automatically convert music and video files to those usable by the Storm.

• The voice recorder lets you use your Storm to record voice memos and make notes hands-free.

• The Storm’s desktop software includes a variety of functions for managing documents and syncing your Storm with your PC or laptop.

• Read Microsoft Office documents and make basic edits to them while on the go.

• Likewise, you can read PDF files on your Storm.

• Finally, many third-party applications are supported by the Storm and the Blackberry OS.  Many of these can be downloaded off the internet for free.

The 3.25-inch 480 x 360 display which has been dubbed as “1/2 VGA+” actually places BlackBerry Storm above the Bold’s 480 x 320 display. The 3.2-megapixel camera with automatic focus and flash positions BlackBerry Storm far above the other camera phones available in the market. The onboard memory of 1GB with microSD expansion together with the 8GB card distinguishes this from the rest. Not just this! The BlackBerry Storm actually has a lot more to offer. The voice quality is exceptionally good and the enhanced background noise cancellation is an added advantage for greater voice clarity. The software support takes care of every minute detail. It was not a surprise that RIM has referred to the BlackBerry Storm’s web browsing experience as the best in class.

The BlackBerry Storm emerged at a time when the market is already flooded with iPhones. The market was really waiting with bated breath. Because of the enormous price pressure existing in the industry, a serious slash in the price of the BlackBerry Storm can also be on cards if Verizon wants to make its presence felt in the market especially during the approaching holidays. With the launch happening, get ready to have a glimpse of the BlackBerry Storm in some more than 120 corporate stores with the demo unit. So wait no further! Get ready to place the order in person when the BlackBerry Storm hits the market.