BlackBerry Storm3 Slider Smartphone Gets Leaked?

BlackBerry Storm3 to Feature Full Touchscreen & Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard

A few days ago we told you how RIM could launch a BlackBerry-like device that would feature a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. At the time we only had a poorly rendered concept photo of such a device to show you but today we came across what’s said to be the real deal.


The pictures below show us the upcoming BlackBerry Storm3, if that’s going to be its name anyway, and we can clearly see the device has a regular touchscreen display and a regular, full QWERTY keyboard which looks like the ones we’ve seen on other BlackBerry handsets so far.

While we can’t confirm any of these claims yet, we can’t help but wonder when RIM will launch a new smartphone. It’s already March and we want to see the new BlackBerry handsets for 2010, don’t we folks?

Besides the touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard we can notice other features too: “built-in” buttons to the touchscreen and a touchpad right beneath the display.

So are these pictures real? We’ve seen plenty of fake, blurred shots of various devices to know that the actual BlackBerry Storm3 might not look like in the pictures here. RIM is not making any official comments about these rumors yet so all we can do for now is waiting for the company to announce the device.

Other rumors related to BlackBerry Storm3 suggest that the device will run RIM’s new BlackBerry OS 6.0, which appears to be RIM’s latest software for its upcoming smartphones. We don’t really have any details on BlackBerry OS 6.0 yet but we’re definitely going to keep tabs on RIM in the following months.

The iPhone 4G is coming in June/July so I’d assume that by then at least a new BlackBerry will be revealed. But let’s hear it from you, BlackBerry lovers, would you be interested in such a BlackBerry slider smartphone?

Credit: Source.
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  • 42 Comments / Add Your Response?

    1. Curly says:

      First off I currently own the Blackberry Storm 9530 and I have been waiting patiently to see what RIM has in store for a 3rd model before deciding to upgrade. If this is what is to come out as the Gen 3 Storm, I’ll just upgrade to the 9550. This slider looks absolutely hideous and to further the madness that qwerty keyboard looks like a useless waste. Maybe it’s because I have big hands but I would never buy that thing.

    2. mike says:

      love it will buy it the day i comes out

    3. Tony Helton says:

      Looks like they are finally getting. Storm 2 was better. I will get this one.

    4. shomeet says:

      i don’t think a vertical slider looks good on a blackberry. I own a bb 9700 and sometimes a wish that a landscape keyboard could be a boon. especially while surfing on the net.

      BB needs to be more net friendly and not just email.

    5. gandolf696 says:

      I have been a Bberry user since day-1. I currently use the BB Storm 1. I am willing to hold off for a BB S-3 and would highly favor a landscape slide-out keyboard. This would be more internet friendly.

    6. S1CKBR3H says:

      this looks sikk. i currently have the first model and my contract has just ran out. before i saw this my mind was set to get the second model, but today my friend showed me this and now i definetly would get this model. it looks different. not like a normal blackberry. Also, it looks bit sexy! :)

    7. Mike says:

      I bought the storm BECAUSE it DIDN’T have a slide out keyboard. If this is the new storm, I think I’ll by an iPhone or Google phone in Nov. I like a large touch screen, I also like the fact that nothing flips out, slides out, or clicks out. I like that I can use the phone with one hand – Hey RIM, just make the Storm run faster, run longer, give it more memory and storage, and continue to add quality apps.

    8. Jennifer says:

      I totally love my Storm 9550. I agree with Mike. The thing I love about my 9550 is the Sure Press screen and the fact that it has an awesome on-screen keypad. Don’t want any slid-out or flip-out keypad. I tried the Droid and hated it. RIM just needs to continuously improve on the Sure-press until it is perfected and add apps and keep updating the software in a timely manner. I LOVE my BLACKBERRY!

    9. Chris says:

      I have the Storm 2 and love it because it does not have anything to slide out or pull out. The whole point of a touch screen is just that its all touch. Hopefully RIM will continue to improve the features such as the OS, more App’s and the speed of the Storm which would make it even better. If they want to make physical changes slim it down a bit and make it thinner.

    10. Jimmy says:

      I like it! I’m very much an iphone lover but I have been living in Dubai UAE for the past 2 years and the bundle packages are much better for BB.
      I bought the storm 2 but sold it do to the screen sticking. I’m not sure if the moving screen is a wise decision, moving parts always seem to cause problems.
      Using the 8520 waiting for a better touch screen from RIM.

    11. TheBeast says:

      Yes, I’m dying to see if it’s a big improvement.

      The input on the Storm is just so much worse than the Iphone and I wasn’t willing to extend my contract for a year for the privilege of buying the Storm 2, by many accounts an incremental improvement.

      The problem with the Google phones is that they aren’t syncing with Outlook right now and I don’t want to use Gmail for my contacts.

      So, if the Storm 3 doesn’t end up close to the Iphone in browser and input, then it’s off toe ATT for the Iphone.

    12. Eli says:

      This phone does look hideous! It will be huge and going away from the all touch screen phone to a slider? Does not make any since. I love my Storm 2 and if it goes to this, my next phone will be a Droid.

    13. Carmina says:

      The rounded out design looks hideous & so does slide out keyboard.. I was totally looking forward to trading my DROID for the BB storm 3 but not if that’s it.. I like the suretouch concept. Upgrade the OS and the camera & I think everyone will buy it!

    14. Linda says:

      Best of both worlds. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

    15. Andrew says:

      I think it would be great to have a touch-screen/pull-out full qwerty keyboard, however a vertical pull-out would be incredibly retarded. It would be grand if they made a phone similar to the droid, but durable for construction workers such as myself keeping in mind that it would be in the elements of dust/debris and weather (rain).

    16. Mara says:

      I’d like to see more user friendly touch screen,that’s my main concern. Nothing more aggravating than constantly getting an incorrect device response to your selection. I am waiting to see if RIM addresses that issue adequately before going with the Storm.

    17. Anthony says:

      I’d have to say storm 3 only needs memory and speed. Oh and even more speed. My 9530 is a slug compared to my wife’s i-phone and she tells daily. Come on Rim step up to the plate.

    18. bosun99uk says:

      i doubt if blackberry will release such a phone.
      I seriously feel they will come out with the normal slide out keyboard from the sides and not this own from below. lol

    19. JM says:

      You know, there is really no evidence in this article that this phone will be touch-screen. The phone isn’t even powered on. Why do they say it will be the Storm 3, because it has a large screen? Well isn’t that the point of a slide out keyboard?? Also, why would any bb phone have a touch screen AND a touchpad? Seems a little redundant don’t ya think?

    20. KC says:

      Okay, for the guys out there, you may not understand this. I’ve stayed away from the Blackberry touchscreens because they are not sensitive to nails…like a stylist touch. It really is only a challenge when using the QWERTY touch keyboards. You have to knuckle your way through a touch keyboard and hope that your hitting the right key. So having the best of both worlds would be great. I would prefer the slider on the side though.

    21. I would buy this immediately upon release. I loved the Bold. Like my Curve. Wish I had more screen real estate and a touch interface sometimes. Right now, I carry around my Curve and my iPod Touch. If I had this, I would only use the one device.

      Must have GPS!

    22. elisa says:

      I love the idea of a touchscreen with a full phyiscal keyboard! i dont know about calling it a storm 3 but i would buy it in a heart beat!

    23. SW says:

      I am now going to figure out how to keep my curve going until the Storm 3 is available, can’t wait.

    24. CHRIS says:

      I dont understand the people who think touch and keyboard is unnecessary. HTC makes several phones, Android and WinMo, that have both. The G1, the Touch Pro2, just to name two. There are also several other manufacturers that do this as well. The Sharp Kin 1 and 2 as well as the palm Pre and pixi. I guess what I am saying is its not really that uncommon to find these features on a smartphone and while I agree that the keyboard should be horizontal, I still would give BB 5 stars on this phone.

    25. Tom says:

      U-G-L-Y. I have seen fails before but THIS is EPIC FAIL!!! HOLY EPIC FAIL!!! They should just maybe fix the many problems with the Storm 2 like the screen sticking… had mine replaced cause of that. But this is the biggest Photoshop I have ever seen. Why would they be so sad to make it look exactly like the Bold and some Samsung. Like, Seriously? Dude, try again! XD

    26. Angela H says:

      I would like it more with a horizontal keyboard/ slider. easier to hold. but this will be my husbands next phone if the keys are large enough for his gigantic finger tips, I am more than satisfied with my BB Storm 2, but love when new things come out.

    27. Richard Pooley says:

      I love the Storm. My contract runs out soon and i am wishing for the Storm 3 to be good. Give it a good camera and speed up the software and i will buy one.

    28. Marlon says:

      I own a Blackberry Storm 2 w/c I loved it. But slider Storm 3. No way.. I’m not gonna buy it.

    29. ricky says:

      Had a storm 1 then went to iphone. The storm 2 is really callin me back though. But if they come out with this as the storm 3, its going to change the whole concept of the storm; a full touch candy bar phone! Instead of changing the design, RIM should just make it faster, battery longer, more memory, thinner would b nice, and gotta have tonsmore apps!!! Over all, bb storms 1 & 2 are awesome!! Please dont kill the bb storm revolution with this slide phone!!!

    30. dave says:

      I hope the new storm will be faster and have more memory

    31. Manny says:

      I have owned both storms and I’ve got to say if this is the new one I will not buy it. Got used to full keyboard and would like a bigger screen like the hd2..

    32. halfblack says:

      Why would a touchscreen phone need a trackpad? I dont think this is a pic of a new storm, I think this is just a way to put a bigger screen on a non touchscreen phone.

    33. halfblack says:

      I fogot to mention that in this picture is does not look like there is a seam around the screen for the surepress. So I hate to say it but if this is a picture of a real phone I really doubt its the storm 3.

    34. Clarissa says:

      I LOVE THIS!! I loved the storm 2, except for the horrible texting accuracy! I realize it was an improvement from the storm 1, but i HATED texting on it! I bought a tour out of contract because it was driving me crazy.

      This would solve my problems!! Its not the most attractive, I’ll admit. But i thought all blackberries were ugly at one point!

      VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN!!!

    35. luther says:

      I use the storm 2 touch screen and its soooooo fuckin useless, I mean the touch screen is horrible. D fone freezes all d time, and dat stupid keypad dat comes up wen u r texting.. Storm 2 issssss aaa hhhooorriiibbblleeee nightmare. And a waste of good money. Infact all blackberries have a problem

    36. Tayo says:

      Am pleading that the whole storm context shouldn’t be changed, its physically and mentally disturbing. RIM should just work on the weakness of storm 1 and 2

    37. Greg says:

      I have the original Storm and didn’t upgrade to the Storm 2. I do the same with software. Works.

      I LOVE this phone for NOT having sliders or physical keys to press.

      Increase the memory. Less menu embedded switches like in order to turn on and off camera flash.

      More quality apps. Quality meaning flexibility without depending on outside developers. Memo is okay, but saving them in an organized manner like you can with photos would be nice. Toggle to different calculators with more functions or better yet CUSTOMIZED functions like WebPart in SharePoint and ASP.NET.

      Faster internet. Lockup prevention.
      Make your data fully flexible when it comes to importing and exporting it.

      For whatever reason when I used mobile gmail it snatched my list up to my gmail contact list and deleted what I had on the phone. The problem was to export and then import it back to my phone it would not line up so I had to MANUALLY DO THIS.
      No outlook comma seperated file did not cure the issue.

      I like the one hand operation of the phone for all purposes. Adding a slider will disrupt that.
      Yes I know you can probably fumble with it and do it with one hand, but I don’t fumble now is the point.

      The reason I purchased this blackberry also was because of the screen and screen keyboard/display.

      A slider to me is a step backwards.
      So what iPad now needs to add a keyboard and mouse? This is also like Bush going back to the Moon with old technology rather than challenging NASA to step it up with NEW rocket technology.
      I mean isn’t it way past time to move off gaseline powered vehicles and liquid fuels for rockets????

      Thanks for your time!

    38. amisha44 says:

      wow if this is what the storm 3 looks like it is a serious DOWNGRADE to the storm 2!!!

    39. StuNt says:

      THis is UgLY! I little bit longer with a landscape keyboard would make it look MUCH better! :)

    40. valleybob says:

      I have the first BB Storm and would like an updated version with the following capabilities:

      1. Have a 1 ghz or faster processor;
      2. Have at least 1 gig of internal memory for apps/rom;
      3. Have at least a 64 gig scandisk removable card included with the phone;
      4. Have a front-facing camera for face-to-face video calls and a rear-facing camera with at HD resolution for photos and videos;
      5. Have a tv output jack to play videos or live tv on computer/tv video monitors;
      6. Be able to answer the phone while on the web or while tethering my phone to my laptop;
      7. And–above all–have the ability to connect my phone directly to a printer/copier so that I don’t have to download documents to a computer and then print them out!

      I believe this last capability would be a first for any smartphone.

    41. Ryan Glosson says:

      I had the blackberry storm 9530 and when it messed up on me Verizon sent me the blackberry storm 2 9550 and I love it! It is so much better than the 9530! If this is the phone that will go out on the market,I think I will keep my 9550 cause I’m sure there will be some bugs that will need to be worked out. Its a pretty good looking phone but I don’t want to upgrade and them find out that it has some bugs. Maybe when the storm 3 has been on the market a year I will upgrade but for now I am happy with the storm 9550.

    42. sebastian says:

      blackberry torch???