WATERLOO, Canada - Research in Motion is relying on the success of its first BlackBerry Storm to bring the second version of the device to stores all around the world, just in time for the Christmas season.

The much-awaited BlackBerry Storm2 has been leaked several times throughout the internet, but the announcement was delayed most likely to make use of the beneficial hype.

The Storm2 will not first debut in the U.S. and then around the world unlike its predecessor - it will launch in Europe and South Africa; a North American launch should also follow in the same time period.

Vodafone has gained exclusive rights to the phone for Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, while in South Africa both MTN and Vodacom will retail the smartphone.

The new BlackBerry Storm2 features a 3.25" touchscreen display with 360x480 pixels in resolution. The display is equipped with an improved SurePress technology which provides users with tactile feedback upon presses. This technology had been criticized positively and negatively by users of the first-generation Storm, but according to a statement by RIM, SurePress has been tweaked in such a manner that the user may type faster: users can now type with one thumb, and rest the other on the screen, which may prove useful for multi-key actions.

The device also has HSPA support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, 2GB of internal memory with support for microSD memory cards, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a 1400mAh battery.

The Storm2 will come with the new BlackBerry OS 5 pre-installed, which should bring improvements in user interface, in order to rival market competitors.