Why Are RIM Over Complicating The Touchscreen Blackberry?

In recent years Blackberry have produced the Blackberry Storm and Storm 2, both sporting a large touchscreen with SurePress technology. There can be little doubt that this device is inspired by Apple's very successful iPhone but in making the Storm similar to iPhone's design I feel that RIM may have missed a great design opportunity. Find out why after the jump.

If you look at the Bold 9700 and the iPhone when the keyboard is displayed then you'll notice that the display area is exactly the same. The icons used in the Bold OS would be very easy to press with a thumb of finger if that was possible......why isn't it? Why not simply make the Bold screen touch sensitive. Keep the physical keyboard for typing and, like Android devices, keep the trackball but allow people to select icons and move around text input using touch. Just think about using your Blackberry and discovering a typo earlier in your email. You simply touch the screen and the cursor moves to that point on the screen where you can make the change then touch the end of the message and continue typing on the physical keyboard.

Wouldn't this unite the great physical keyboards of the Blackberry with the strengths of the touch screen devices into one fantastic device. There is room in the Blackberry fold for such a hybrid device and I for one would be delighted to purchase it if it ever came on the market. Anyone agree that this is the kind of device we need to see from RIM?