Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry Storm2 will mark the company's second go at the Storm smartphone, along with Verizon Wireless - after the two failed to create much ripples with the first-generation Storm which the users found bulky and difficult to use.

The new, revamped Storm will be released in the US, Canada, South Africa, and seven European countries in the coming months.

RIM's Storm2 boasts a number of improvements over its predecessor. Among the key enhancements being touted is the device's ability to enable the users experience the sensation of pushing a physical button while pressing a number on the glass touch screen.

To allure the prospective customers of the Apple-AT&T iPhone as well as to keep the Verizon customers, the Ontario, Canada-based RIM has revamped the Storm with faster typing and "multitouch" capabilities, along with enabling it for next-generation networks. The new Storm also has Wi-Fi capability akin to some of the other BlackBerry smartphones.

Expecting the new storm to catch on with the customers this time round, Lowell McAdam, the Verizon Wireless CEO, has been carrying the overhauled device for a few weeks to seek reviews about it.

McAdam said he allowed some users to use the second-generation Storm, who were excited and remarked: "Oh, My Gosh!" McAdam further added that Storm2 is what the users "hoped the original Storm should be!"