BlackBerry Storm 3 details leaked

As the rumour mill continues to buzz with news of the touch-screen BlackBerry Dakota, details have emerged of yet another addition to RIM's 2011 smartphone line-up, the BlackBerry Storm 3.

The top-of-the-range handset will feature the highest resolution display for a BlackBerry at 800 x 480 pixels, according to Boy Genius Report.

The device is branded as the Storm 3, but currently goes under the codenames Monaco and Monza and could be released under different branding in various versions across the globe, the report said.

The Storm 3 is powered by a 1.2GHz processor, and will run on the upcoming Blackberry 6.1 operating system, with 8GB storage and 512MB of RAM.

With a 3.7-in touch screen and sleek design, the device is similar to its predecessors and more than a little reminiscent of the iPhone or the growing number of Android handsets on the market from the likes of HTC. It will also ship with an optical trackpad, according to the specs.

The Storm 3 is enabled with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 3G, and acts as a 3G mobile hotspot allowing owners to tether a number of other devices for browsing the web on the go.

The Storm 3 will also come with a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording, according to the leaked specs.

It remains to be seen whether the handset will win over users, especially given the lukewarm reviews which greeted its predecessors, and criticism of the capacitive touch screen. The Storm 3 is expected to ship in September.