Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon and some cellphone retailers have cut the price of the BlackBerry Storm by more than half in a move that could signal an updated version of the touchscreen device is on its way.

Verizon is now offering the Storm for $100 through its website, while Amazon Wireless has it even cheaper at $50.  At Wirefly.com, the Storm costs just $30 with a new Verizon account. The prices are all for a device with a two-year contract.

As we have said earlier, reports suggest the BlackBerry Storm 2 could be available in September. With the latest price cut, it looks very likely that Research In Motion is readying to get the Storm 2 in retail stores soon.

Research In Motion released Storm, its first touchscreen phone, in November last year. The $200 phone (with a two-year contract) received some harsh reviews on its debut from critics unhappy with the software and the user interface. But the Storm has become a big hit among Verizon subscribers. One million Storm phones were sold within two months of the launch.

The Storm 2 is likely to have Wi-Fi–a key feature missing in the first generation device–and an improved touchscreen. It’s fairly certain the phone will make its debut on the Verizon Wireless network and could become the telecom carrier’s weapon in its battle against AT&T’s new iPhone 3G S and Sprint’s Palm Pre.

See Also:

• Reviled by Reviewers, BlackBerry’s Storm Rages On
• Teardown of BlackBerry Storm Reveals Device Cost
• RIM BlackBerry Storm
• BlackBerry Ready With a Sequel to Storm?

Photo: BlackBerry Storm (Juan Benitez/Flickr)

[via RIMarkable]