The BlackBerry Storm 9500 is, indeed, causing quite a storm, as more details emerge about its capabilities. This full touchscreen phone is very much consumer-focused, but with its solid business foundations intact. How does it stand up to the iPhone 3G?
Look & Feel
Both devices are almost completely touchscreen based, with the Storm having a few more buttons along the bottom edge, and the typical "BlackBerry" logo branding at the top of the screen near the earpiece.
The BlackBerry is definitely more curvy top and bottom, and measures 112.5mm (H) x 62.2mm (W) x 13.95mm (D) -- not much different to the iPhone 3G's 115.5 (H) x 62.1 (W) x 12.3mm (D).
The Storm is a touch heavier at 155g versus 133g.
Screen
The BlackBerry Storm features a high-resolution 360 x 480 touchscreen, which gives it a 4:3 aspect ratio akin to older TVs, versus the iPhone 3G's 320 x 480 touchscreen which is a 3:2 ratio. Not much to choose between the two, though.
Both screens feature light-sensing technology which can be used to set the optimum brightness for the display.
Keyboard
The Storm offers several virtual keyboard options, including standard QWERTY in landscape mode and SureType in portrait mode (see picture).
The iPhone offers several keypads (QWERTY, numeric, symbols) in both landscape and portrait modes.
Camera
The BlackBerry Storm features a modest 3.2 megapixel camera, still beating the iPhone's two megapixel affair. Additionally, it supports video recording out of the box. The specifications don't say whether it has autofocus and flash capability, but regardless of that, the Storm just beats the iPhone.
Multimedia
Both handsets can play a wide variety of audio formats, with the Storm pipping the iPhone with WMA and WMA ProPlus, and video formats, the Storm able to handle WMV files. If those types of media are important (more likely for PC users) then the Storm edges ahead.
Navigation
The Storm uses BlackBerry Maps and offers Touch Screen Navigation. The iPhone features Google Maps and navigation. You decide which handset wins based on your navigational needs and preferences. My hunch is that the Storm edges it until Google updates Maps on the iPhone.
Communications
Both units handle 3G where available, but only the iPhone feature Wi-Fi connectivity. There's also GPS and Bluetooth, with the Storm's Bluetooth implementation is better than the iPhone's.
The Storm can be used as a tethered modem providing that the network operator allows it. At present, the iPhone can only be used this way with a bit of hacking.
Web Browsing
Both units feature web browsers, though as far as I'm aware exact information about the Storm's software isn't yet public. Various forums have suggested it's based on "WebKit", which is what Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome (among others) are based on.
Could the Storm have an iPhone-esque browser?
Operating System
The Storm appears to be running BlackBerry OS 4.7, whereas the iPhone runs OS X.
Storage
The Storm features 1GB of internal memory, 128MB of Flash memory, and support for microSD expansion cards up to 16GB.
Applications
The Storm may well make use of a new "BlackBerry Application Centre", in similar vein to the iPhone App Store and Google's Android Market.
That's not confirmed yet, but based on rumours spotted over the weekend.
Business Credentials
The BlackBerry is almost the de facto standard for business users, and as such features strong compatibility and security with popular corporate systems.
The iPhone is still very much a work in progress, depending on individual business needs, and while some companies are adopting the iPhone, particularly after the software upgrade to version two, it still lags when it comes to being supported by standard systems.
Though the Storm is being portrayed as a much more consumer-friendly device, its business credentials still stand.
Pricing & Networks
It seems that the Storm will be available on a 24 month contract, exclusively with Vodafone, for a minimum £35 per month (not sure if the handset is free or not).
You know the drill with the iPhone 3G by now - various price points and 18-month contracts from £30pm, or PAYG, on O2.
Conclusion
RIM has definitely pushed some consumer buttons with its latest offering, and gone all out touchscreen (I can't think of a major phone manufacturer that doesn't have some touchscreen goodness happening on at least one of their handsets).
Whether it's a direct attack on the iPhone is another matter. With the likes of Samsung's Omnia and the G1 around, there's plenty of competition in this area of the market.
It's not the prettiest phone around, but looks like it will do the job. It wins on overall connectivity, though the network tie-in is even worse than the iPhone's.
Vodafone versus O2? You decide, not that you get much choice if you want to use one of the phones.
For me, it's still iPhone all the way. What do you reckon?
