Brewing up a Storm
BLACKBERRY’S STORM is the new kid on the touch-phone block. It was jointly developed by Research in Motion (RIM – makers of BlackBerry) and Vodafone. While BlackBerry may not like the tag, everyone considers it to be the latest “iPhone killer”. Unfortunately, the Storm isn’t very electrifying.
But it’s not all bad. The Storm has great media playback functionality and if the included trailer for Babylon AD is anything to go by, then video playback on a phone has been near-perfected by BlackBerry, which has had the best screen quality in the business since the BlackBerry Bold was launched.
The Storm also includes access to Vodafone Sat Nav, applications for Facebook and instant messaging platforms and an application centre similar to Apple’s iPhone App Store that alerts Storm owners to new software and updates. The built-in 3,2 megapixel camera with zoom and flash is above average and zooming by dragging your finger around the screen is cool.
The Storm is also the world’s first touch-phone with haptic feedback: you actually have to click the screen in when pushing on it. That’s where things get nasty. The on-screen keyboard on the Storm is clunky and difficult to use. With extended use you may get used to it, but I simply couldn’t. That will be a problem for users of email and instant messaging, who will be better served by BlackBerry’s Bold or Curve models that have decent keyboards with real buttons.
The Storm’s accelerometer used to automatically switch the screen to a landscape view when the device is turned on its side is also iffy and often switches when you really don’t want it to. The device mysteriously doesn’t include WiFi, although it does have high-speed HSDPA mobile connectivity to keep you online wherever you go.
The Storm is frustratingly close to being a great smart-phone but I can’t help feeling it was rushed to market and could have used a few extra months in development. But for users who love the BlackBerry platform and also need good functionality in terms of media features, the Storm might be just the thing.
PRICE: R8 500 retail. Available on contract from Vodacom only.
Finweek
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