BlackBerry Storm to Get Firmware Update

— -- The BlackBerry Storm, the first touchscreen device from Research In Motion, is to get a software update over the coming two weeks. The new firmware is set to fix multiple bugs plaguing the phone, as well as add features such as improved keyboard usage.

The over-the-air software update from Verizon Wireless will be the first major update for the Storm since one in December. Known as 4.7.0.113, the new firmware is expected to fix numerous bugs the Storm is suffering from, stopping the device from freezing when using voice dialing, and fixing the bug that causes the display to get filled with small, multicolored dots.

The 4.7.0.113 update will also bring a much-wanted feature to Storm users: a full QWERTY keyboard to use in portrait mode. So far, the BlackBerry Storm allows the use of a full QWERTY only in landscape mode, while a SureType keyboard is used in portrait mode. In total, over 30 bugs will be fixed, with stability and speed issues addressed in this firmware update as well.

Some BlackBerry forums and Web sites already offer various versions of this update for download. If you know what you're doing, you can try an unofficial update at your own risk. However, I would recommend you wait until the official version from Verizon will be released.

This might well be the last firmware update RIM will offer for the Storm, as the company is already working on the Storm 2. The second iteration of RIM's flagship phone is said to add Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera, and a new touchscreen technology called TruePress.