BlackBerry

Through an unfortunate series of events, I am in need of a new phone. The new BBry Tour is interesting, but I'm curious if things have gotten better (than originally believed) with the touch-screen Storm?

I have had clamshell, bar and WinMo touch-screen phones. My biggest complaint about the latter is the speed and battery life. I like touch-screen, but not if it's subject to errors (and I know the Storm has tactile response, which is better than most WinMo devices).

* I travel, but mostly in-country.
* I need decent battery life, but don't have a problem carrying an extra battery (8-12 hours should suffice).
* Voice quality and coverage are paramount, but accessing the Internet and my PERSONAL email (as well as the company email through an Exchange server) are also required.

I also am stuck on Verizon, so I'm not sure how much they "lock up" on the Bbry devices. Example: on Windows Mobile devices, they don't allow GPS unless you buy their VZNavigator service, which is absurd considering you can get GoogleMaps and with GPS do great navigation (but I'm really tired of having to hack the phone).

So as I prepare to take the plunge, can someone advice me on which way to turn?

Much appreciated.