Let the holiday season smart phone wars begin!!!

Research In Motion (RIM) has introduced its BlackBerry Storm -- with its new tactile touch-screen -- that will be exclusively available on Verizon Wireless in a couple of weeks.

Both RIM and Verizon Wireless are expecting the Storm to seriously challenge Apple's 3G iPhone as the hottest gadget under this year's Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush.

With a look similar to Apple's iPhone, the Storm comes with a 3.2-inch screen, preloaded with Facebook, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. The gadget features built-in GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera, video recording capability, a media player and a removable battery.

Additional applications will be available through a BlackBerry app store. (No surprise there! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. 

The device is expected to sell for approximately the same price as an iPhone. 

The Storm was introduced in London, where Vodafone, a joint venture partner in Verizon Wireless, said it will exclusively offer the Storm in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand later this fall.

See more images of the Storm from eWeek here.