Leading telecom operator Vodafone Essar and Research in Motion, the Canadian maker of the BlackBerry family of smartphones, have jointly launched 'Blackberry Storm' in the Indian market. 

Targeted at business and consumer markets, the newly launched device would be available in India from 15 January 2009.

Mr. Harit Nagpal, Director – Marketing and New Business, Vodafone Essar said, “The BlackBerry Storm offers our customers easy access to voice and email, a range of social media applications, multimedia content, satellite navigation and many other services on the move in a single device.”

The phone blends communications and multimedia functions, and features a clickable touch screen, multi-media features such as music, browsing, Sat Nav, Video and social network messaging.

The touch screen measures 3.25 inches with 480 x 360 resolution 184 ppi. With a 3.2-megapixel camera able to record video, the Storm outclasses the iPhone’s lens.

Besides all this, a Blackberry Storm user could also access to Facebook, Windows Live, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, Flickr and has applications that include BlackBerry Internet service, BlackBerry Professional Software and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support.

The users will also be capable of editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the phone.

In spite of recession, the company received an incredible reaction for Storm when it was launched in Europe a few months back.

Vodafone is likely to offer ‘Storm’ for Rs 27,990.