BlackBerry Storm 9500 Review - Can the 'Storm' Give the iPhone a Run for Its Money?
Technology has definitely come a long way. Let's take the BlackBerry wireless handheld devices as an example. Years ago, when you see a bulky handheld with a black body and a QWERTY keyboard, it is immediately recognizable as being a BlackBerry.
Today, there are a good number of BlackBerry handheld devices which are available – the latest of which is the BlackBerry Storm 9500. A 'sister' product in this line of handhelds manufactured by RIM or Research in Motino is the BlackBerry Storm 9530.
What makes the BlackBerry Storm 9500 and BlackBerry Storm 9530 different from the original BlackBerry handheld devices is the fact that 9500 and 9530 completely veered away from the QWERTY keyboard which has become almost their signature – and went on to develop a touchscreen smartphone.
The series of BlackBerry Storm smartphones were released in the market in the fourth quarter of 2008. Now, because of its similarity to the iPhone, many reviewers say that the BlackBerry Storm 9500 and 9530 can give Apple, Inc. a run for their money.
What makes the BlackBerry Storm 9500 so special and can it really rival the iPhone in terms of price, form factor, functionality and usability? Read on to find out.
A Glimpse at the Basic Features of the BlackBerry Storm 9500
What makes the BlackBerry Storm 9500 so special as far as the line of BlackBerry handheld devices are concerned is that BlackBerry 9500 offers a lot of 'firsts' to RIM which is its manufactured. The BlackBerry Storm 9500 is RIM"s first touchscreen device. It is also their first smartphone which does not have a physical keyboard.
Both the BlackBerry Storm 9500 and 9530 are classified as world-phones with a wide range of frequency bands.
BlackBerry Storm 9500 Specifications
Now, let us delve deeper into how the BlackBerry Storm 9500 smartphone measures up against similar products in the market. Here's a list of its specifications:
- 3.25" HVGA 360x480 multi-touch screen with 65,536 colors
- 3.2-Megapixel camera
- BlackBerry OS 4.7
- 128 MB flash memory
- 1GB onboard memory
- 480x532 pixel video recording
- Bluetooth connectivity, micro-USB with mass storage mode support
A Closer Look at the Features of the BlackBerry Storm 9500
"Press and be impressed" is the selling slogan of the BlackBerry Storm 9500. The feature which created the best impact when you ask the mobile phone reviewers is the fact that it does have a crisp and sharp display. GPS and HSDPA are also available – although the major downside is the fact that it has no Wi-Fi.
You can take above average snapshots using the BlackBerry Storm 9500 because of its 3.2-Megapixel camera which has a flash and autofocus. Music buffs would love the fact that the BlackBerry Storm 9500 does have a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack on the side so you can use your favorite earphones.
As far as the design is concerned, there is no doubt that the BlackBerry Storm 9500 can be considered a beauty. Even if you're a veteran BlackBerry Pearl user, your hands will still be tempted to reach out and touch the sleekly designed body of the BlackBerry Storm 9500.
Aside from the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, its direct competitors include the T-Mobile G1 and the models from the HTC Touch Family.
The Verdict: Can the BlackBerry Storm 9500 Give the iPhone a Run for Its Money?
To give you an idea about whether the BlackBerry Storm 9500 can give Apple's iPhone a run for its money, let us compare the touchscreen mechanism of both devices. When you use the iPhone, one of the problems that you will encounter is the lack of feedback. With the BlackBerry Storm 9500, the click-screen feature is applies and you will be more than happy with how the device responds to the commands of your fingers.
All in all, the BlackBerry Storm 9500 does give the iPhone a run for its money – if only the future versions of the handheld device will include Wi-Fi.
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