RIM BlackBerry Storm

Introduction

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Amid anticipation for Research in Motion's BlackBerry Storm, there was speculation about whether the first BlackBerry touch screen phone would be a strong rival to the Apple iPhone. While RIM built an interesting package of innovative technologies in the Storm, currently offered by Verizon, this phone has its quirks and some cutting edge functions do not come together as seamlessly as they should.

The main example is RIM's SurePress technology, which expands upon the increasingly common touch screen cell phone to incorporate tactile navigation. Users make a selection by touching and swiping the screen, then push down to click the screen, which functions as one large button.

This seems like an idea worth exploring and to some degree, it works well for people who like tactile confirmation of their selections. But SurePress slows down messaging and other tasks that require typing because each letter must be selected by touch and then a click.

The Storm also features an accelerometer, which allows the display to change between portrait and landscape orientations depending upon whether the phone is held vertically or horizontally. This makes it easier to view photos and other media, and a QWERTY keypad is available in the landscape orientation.

Verizon bills the Storm as a global phone, and it supports several networks including Verizon's high-speed EV-DO Rev. A broadband network, which is an upgrade to previous EV-DO networks that allows users to upload files five to six times faster.

Design

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The Storm packs a lot of features and it has the weight, 5.47 ounces with the battery installed, to show for them. It is heavier than the iPhone 3G, which weighs in at 4.7 ounces.

The BlackBerry Storm is a good size for a sleek smartphone with serious business capabilities, at 4.43 inches tall, 2.45 inches wide and 0.55 inches thick. This is not a slim phone that will slip unnoticed into a pocket but from the keys to the unique screen, the Storm feels solid and well-made.

A name like Storm suggests this phone might rock the boat with some cutting edge design features, but this phone sticks to a classy and business-oriented aesthetic. One flashy feature is the silver band that surrounds the face of the handset, while the top and bottom of the phone's face are a glossy, black plastic. The silver echoes a similar design on the edge of Apple's iPhone.

Against the silver band, on the sides and portions of the back of the Storm, a black rubbery surface provides a subtle grip. The removable back panel that covers the battery and microSD memory card slot is an attractive, dark brushed metal and there is a silver BlackBerry logo near the top.

The display is a centerpiece of the Storm, with the SurePress technology behind it. A small gap separates the screen from the rest of the phone and in a sense, the entire screen is one large button since users press it to make a selection. Hopefully, dirt will not become trapped in the gap between the screen and other keys over time.

The black plastic panel at the top of the handset's face is also a large button, with different functions depending upon whether users press the left or right side. Pressing on the left side locks and unlocks the screen, while the right side works as a mute button to play or pause a media file, or mute a call. There is also a speaker in the middle of this panel, and a notification light on the right side.

At the upper right side of the Storm handset is a headset jack, and below it is a silver rocker volume key. A key on the middle of the phone's right side opens up the phone's camera mode, triggers the auto-focus and can be used to snap the photo. While the default for this key is to open the camera, it and a second "convenience key" on the left side can be customized to open other applications.

There are four large, familiar BlackBerry keys at the bottom of the phone for basic functions. From right to left, they are an end call and power key; an escape key marked with an arrow, to close a screen or move back to a previous screen; a menu key, with the BlackBerry logo, to open the menu in an application; and the send key.

There is a micro-USB port on the left side of the Storm handset, to charge the phone and transfer files, and a silver button with three raised dots that by default opens the phone's voice dialing application. This is the second key that can be customized.

On the back of the phone, the camera is on the upper left side and the flash and video light is on the right.

Out of the box, the RIM BlackBerry Storm comes with a standard 1400 mAh Li-Ion battery, 3.5mm stereo headset, travel charger with three international adapter clips, USB data cable, an 8 GB SanDisk microSD memory card, SIM card, BlackBerry User Tools CD, Verizon CD-ROM with VXAccess Manager and VCAST Music with Rhapsody.