Packaged to satisfy the needs of both the consumer and business customer, the stylish Storm is part of the BlackBerry 9500 series of phones. The Storm features a touchscreen which reacts physically like a button via SurePress, a Research In Motions (RIM) patented technology of providing hap tic feedback.

The BlackBerry Storm is said to have “very high consumer adoption”. According to Mark Guibert, vice president of corporate marketing at RIM, “Consumers and business customers alike will appreciate the BlackBerry Storm smartphone for its exceptional communications and multimedia features, as well its innovative ‘clickable’ touchscreen which solves long-standing challenges associated with typing on traditional touch-screens”.

Available Features
Camera (3.2 MP), Built-in GPS, Media Player
Video Recording, BlackBerry Maps, Wireless Email, Organizers, Browser
3.2 MP camera with auto flash, auto focus, 2x digital zoom

Video Camera
Depending on the amount of built-in memory available for use, a third party microSD card may need to be properly inserted into the BlackBerry smartphone to enable the video recording feature

Battery & Battery Life
Standby Time: 15 days (356 hours)
Talk Time: 6 hours
14 mAhr removable/rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell

GPS & BlackBerry Maps
Stand-alone and assisted GPS
Preloaded with BlackBerry Maps

Data Input & Navigation
SurePress touch screen
On screen keyboard: portrait SureType and Multi-tap, QWERTY landscape
* Dedicated keys: Send, End, Menu, Return

Voice Input & Output
3.5mm stereo headset capable
Integrated earpiece/microphone
Built-in speaker phone
Bluetooth v2.0 enabled; mono/stereo headset, handsfree

Media Player
Video format support: MPEG4 Part 2
Simple Profile, H.264, WMV
Audio format support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMA ProPlus

Bluetooth
* Bluetooth v2.0; mono/stereo headset, handsfree, phone book access profile, and serial port profile supported

Device Security
Password protection and screen lock
Sleep mode

Submitted by Jason J., Bakersfield, CA.

BlackBerry Storm Pros

• Offers what is easily the best e-mail program for business users
• Allows you to edit Word and Excel attachments (the others don’t!)

Blackberry Storm Cons

• No wi-fi (how could they??)
• Web browsing on its 3.25-inch screen isn’t as fluid as it could be
• A bit slow at times to exit an application (app) or load a photo

Apple iPhone 3G Pros

• Undoubtedly the best-looking web browser and the largest screen (3.5 inches)
• Definitely the most accurate touchscreen (you seldom hit the link next to the one that you intended to touch)
• Its 3G connection is fast!

Apple iPhone 3G Cons

• Sometimes it should be within 3G range, but instead it drops to the slower EDGE network
• Applications sometimes randomly crash, sending you back to the home screen.

T-Mobile G1 Pros

• It’s fairly easy to navigate the web on its 3.2-inch screen
• It actually has a real keyboard which slides out from under the screen
• A special button brings up a Google search bar with one touch

T-Mobile G1 Cons

• Its zoom function is a bit clumsy
• High-speed coverage is good where it’s available, but it’s still somewhat limited, because T-Mobile’s network is still young (just 120 major U.S. cities covered up to now)

So that’s my take on ‘em. Which is your favorite??

Submitted by Jason J., Bakersfield, CA.