Blackberry Storm 2 has improved piezo-electric SurePress screen

Another BlackBerry Storm 9550 (aka Storm 2) video has emerged that clarifies the screen technology in use. It looks like our our earlier assumption about the Storm 9550 dumping the lousy, clicky SurePress screen was wrong — RIM has instead improved the technology to make it much more effective. Well, according to one reviewer, at least.

More details — and the video — after the cut.

The changes hinge around the switch to a ‘piezo-electric’ screen that uses an electric current to change the surface properties of the display. When the Storm 9550 is switched off, the screen is rigid to the touch; turn the smartphone on and the screen becomes flexible enough to depress with a fingertip. The result is a ‘clicky’ screen that doesn’t depend on a single, central switch (like the original Storm) — the click happens underneath your fingertip, no matter where on the screen it is.

Much like the sensation of the original Storm screen, we suspect that this is something you need to try for yourself in order to appreciate it. The reviewer in the video that reveals the technology does his best to explain what’s going on — and even reverts to using a dish sponge as an analogy at one point — but he’s not wholly successful.

It also turns out that rather than one global smartphone, the Storm 2 will consist of two models — the CDMA (US-only) 9550 and the GSM 9520. Both will also have Wi-Fi. There’s no news on UK availability or pricing yet, so here’s some fun with a sponge to tide you over.

[Via IntoMobile]