Boasting sexy, sleek form factors and unprecedented high-speed Internet capabilities, two new BlackBerry offerings from Research in Motion and Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless have hit store shelves -- just in time for the holiday shopping pre-season.

 

Unfortunantely, these devices didn’t get much time in the limelight before the highly-publicized Motorola DROID, powered by the Google Android (News - Alert) OS, came along and stole the show.

 

Still, a number of gadget gurus who’ve tested the latest BlackBerries say they are worthy of a closer look.

 

The sleekest-yet BlackBerry Storm2 features a touchscreen platform and hundreds of hardware and software upgrades and enhancements – including new SurePress “clickable” display technology (now all-electronic) and built-in WiFi 802.11b/g capabilities. As expected, Internet browsing is much faster than it was with the original Storm; the browser is powered by faster JavaScript and CSS processing support for gears and BlackBerry (News - Alert) widgits.

 

The new Storm features the BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes typing accuracy and selection improvements, as well as usability and visual enhancements such as inertial scrolling, spin boxes that make it easier to set dates and times, gradient shading on buttons and more use of animation. Customers running the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 will gain the ability to set follow-up flags, manage e-mail folders, access remote files, forward appointments, view calendar attachments and more.

 

If touchscreens aren’t your thing, consider the sleek, chrome-framed BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone, which sports an extensive array of high-end communications and multimedia features designed to appeal to both men and women for professional and personal use.

 

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone offers support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world, a next-generation (624 MHz) processor, 256 MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a “sharp, dazzling display,” according to RIM. Other distinguishing features include its touch-sensitive trackpad and a highly tactile, fretted full-QUERTY keyboard.

 

With so many new upgrades, BlackBerry fans are bound to be happy with their new choices. Unless, of course, they get distracted by the new DROID while waiting on service at a Verizon Wireless store.

 

Stopping short of calling DROID the iPhone “killer,” TMCnet CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) on Sunday blogged about his firsthand experience visiting a Verizon store in Connecticut, where the interest in the DROID has trumped interest in other new smartphones.

 

“Certainly my outing at the Verizon store was better than my recent experience checking out the Blackberry Storm 2,” Tehrani said. “The Droid is about the same size and weight of an iPhone (News - Alert) but has a full keyboard which slides out from the side of the device. Typing on it was a satisfying experience and although some have complained it is thin and does not provide adequate tactile response, I believe the compromise between size and feedback to be good.”