Research in Motion (RIM) plans to release an updated version of its first touchscreen BlackBerry, the Storm, the firm’s CEO has confirmed.

Jim Balsillie told Reuters that a next-generation Storm is in the works. The new handset will be part of RIM's continuing push into the retail marke, he added.

Over 50 per cent of RIM’s customers - some 25m people - have individual rather than corporate push email subscriptions.

As we’ve come to expect from corporate bigwigs, Balsillie didn’t let slip any juicy technical details about what additional features and improvements customers can expect on the Storm 2.

But given the number of headlines highlighting the first-generation Storm’s lack of Wi-Fi support, it’s reasonable to hope that RIM will have enough sense to add it to the Storm 2. ®

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