Scheduled for a this week release, the new BlackBerry Storm2 from Research in Motion (RIM) is not only better built than its predecessor, BlackBerry Storm, but is also faster, quicker to respond and more feature-packed.

The last year released first-generation touchscreen Storm, which was touted as a potential iPhone-killer, has largely marred by repeated complaints about its slow performance, frequent crashes and the riotously inconsistent interface.

Verizon's $180-priced Storm2 features a "SurePress" clickable screen for a much superior display, which is great for watching movies and videos. Boasting a well-organized messaging inbox, the forthcoming Storm2 also has new features like the BlackBerry OS 5.0, the BlackBerry App World and an integrated Facebook app, over and above all the standard BlackBerry features.

Though the new Wi-Fi-enabled Storm2 is a much-enhanced version vis-à-vis the original Storm, and fixes a number of problems with the earlier device, there are still some areas in which the new smartphone is apparently found lacking.

The absence of a physical keyboard on Storm2, like its earlier version, can make the typing process on the on-screen keyboard a rather cumbersome one, and somewhat hinder the process of entering numbers during a call.

In addition, the Smart2 is still not seamless, and its clunky inside stops short of making the phone's usage as intuitive as Verizon and RIM, and the users, would want it to be!