Verizon prepares the release of Research in Motion’s new BlackBerry Storm. The carrier has signed a contract ensuring the exclusivity all across the United States and the device will be widely available starting with this Friday.

The price of the new device is set at $199 through a two-year contract with Verizon and a $50 mail-in rebate and it is expected to become the first real competition for Apple’s iPhone, not only considering the price but also the features offered.

The minimum plan offered for this release is $49.99 for data only, without any voice services. For both voice and data, users will pay a total of at least $69.99, with $29.99 for the personal data plan and $39.99 for the 450-minute voice plan. It includes e-mail and Web browsing, but the SMS text messaging features will only be available for an additional $5 to $20/month, depending on how many messages they include.

Storm is BlackBerry’s first device that features the touchscreen technology and the market’s expectations are extremely high. The Storm has a large display of 3.25 inches, with a resolution of 360 by 480. The company introduced a new system called “SurePress,” which allows the user to choose from the type of keyboard most needed at a certain time - holding the phone in portrait mode brings up a virtual SureType keyboard, while holding the device in landscape brings up a fill Qwerty keyboard.

It has a 3.2 mega pixel camera with flash and a 1400 mAh battery that will ensure about six hours of talk time on 3G networks or 15 days of standby time. The screen supports multi-touches, taps, slides and other gestures, which will allow users to highlight, scroll, pan, and zoom. The device is equipped with an 8 Giga Bytes microSD memory card, which can be exchanged with a 16 GB version.

Last week, Dawn Bratton, manager of Data Sales for Verizon, talked to The Tech Herald about the upcoming release and said that the business customers invited to test the Storm were delighted with its new design and features. "We're waiting for the doors to bust open," she said. "They want it because it's new and they want it because it's BlackBerry. For those who are carrying World Edition [BlackBerry 8830], this one is one better," she added.

The two companies decided on this particular moment for the release, as it puts their product in contact with the customers just one month away from the holiday season, which is known as one of the most profitable periods of the year. All the hype surrounding the release has led to a massive interest in RIM’s product, which will surely translate into good sales. There are still certain concerns about its performances, as up until now the focus was set on its aspect and touchscreen technology, but the company’s officials have assured everyone that there haven’t been any flaws identified so far and that the device successfully covers all the aspects and will deliver a complete experience.